Faith, Reticence and Work
Prashant Solomon
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ performed many miracles, including healing the sick and even raising the dead. Christ tells healed people two things: ''According to your faith be it unto you'', and ''your faith hath made thee whole''. Then he charges them by saying, ''Tell no man about what has happened to you.'' Faith has a vital role to play here.
The Roman centurion whose servant was ill had so much faith in Christ that though Christ offered to come to his house the centurion said, ''I am not worthy that you come to my house, but simply say the word and it shall be done. Like I am a man in authority and when I tell my subordinates do this or do that, I know it shall be done.''
Jesus was so impressed by the centurion's faith that he declared to all those assembled there, ''I have never seen so much faith. No, not in Israel.'' Within the hour, the servant had miraculously been healed.
However, there are also some cases in the Bible where Jesus could not cure people ''because of their unbelief. Jesus also said to ''tell no man''. This is so because at times sharing things with others can be counterproductive as other people's envy, doubts, fears and negativity can adversely affect the healed person's mind and could also create some kind of negativity which could hinder the healing or other desire of the seeker as a negative suggestion is also powerful and can choke the flow of positive energy or belief. This is why reticence is important. Claude M Bristol says in his book, The Magic of Believing: "It cannot be too strongly emphasised that you should not give anyone an inkling of your plans or desires. To do so may end disastrously for you.'' Because the negative vibrations that other people can send you could be powerful and can deter your plans. This is perhaps the same reason that Jesus instructs the healed person to ''tell no man''.
When a woman touched the robe of Jesus, she was cured and Jesus asked: "Who touched me for I could feel virtue flowing out of me." Now the word 'virtue' is not the best translation of the original Greek word dynamis which means power or strength. Incidentally, all the verses that talk of Jesus's 'mighty works' also are translations of the same Greek word dynamis. Each time in the original Greek text, it was this word that was actually used. This word is used throughout the New Testament. So there is a kind of power that flows into the faithful, it is this faith that attracts the flow of the healing power and it is this 'power' itself that is the originator of the mighty works of Jesus Christ as described in the Bible. It is likewise lack of faith that blocks the flow of healing power.
The woman believed that Christ would cure her, but she also acted by touching his robe. The centurion had faith in Jesus, but acted by asking Jesus to heal him. There must be some kind of action or request (prayer) on the part of the receiver. ''Ask and it shall be given'', ''seek and you shall find''. While we need to have faith in God, we need to act as well for without action on our part, faith itself is of no use ''For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.''
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Chintels day out at Ambience Mall
On Saturday, March 6, 2010 - we at Chintels officially started off our 25th anniversary celebrations. We plan to have a series of celebrations that will culminate in a 'grand finale' sometime towards the end of this year.
To get the ball rolling, the entire staff of Chintels corporate office had a 'day out' at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon. The day started off at 10:00 am, when we all assembled outside the PVR ticket counter and watched the film 'Atithi, Tum kab jayoge'. As for the film, I would give it a 4 out of 10. Well, this is not supposed to be a film review, so we'll leave it at that.
After this, I bought a new Canon PowerShot SX200 IS from the Reliance electronics store to click some pictures of the event. This was followed by lunch at the food court, where after much deliberation, I decided to have a slice of pepperoni pizza from Sbarro. It was OK, nothing to write home about.
The next thing we did, which was really the highlight of the day as far as the rest of the Chintels people were concerned was the bowling at Blu-O. Wow! We had a blast to say the least! We booked about five lanes and played for about three hours non-stop. It was good fun. Photos of the event are also being posted here.
After that most of the team Chintels left, but I stayed on with my parents, wife, brother and a cousin who was there. We had some wheat beer at the Bavarian (part of Rockman's Beer Island) and then the highlight of the day for me and my brother was that we both bought identical 13" MacBook Pros!
But by the end of it, I was dog tired. My brother drove home and as soon as I reached home, I crashed out! But what a day man. I haven't had so much fun in a long time and I have never spent so much time in a mall on a single day. We were there for about 10 and a half hours!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Where are you in the Milky Way Galaxy?
Like a mote of dust our planet is in the vastness of the Milky Way Galaxy, which in turn is but a mote of dust compared to the vastness of the Cosmos. Yet we divide, bicker and kill. Make peace not war. There is so much more to learn and explore.
A little video I made
A little video I made
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Indians first, Indians last
Facebook Prashant Solomon: Indians first, Indians last:
"SRK, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Gandhi and the list must keep growing of those people who will stand up to the devisive hooliganism of the Thackerays. India is not a land of Marathis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Delhiites, etc. It is the land of Indians! We are all members of one body, one family, one India and in a united voice we declare that We The People Of India will fight against the forces of communalism, regionalism, casteism and any other 'ism' that threatens to divide our people. It is time for us to be Indians first and Indians last. Whether Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist or Jew we are Indians. Whether Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi - we are Indians. Whether Dalit, Brahmin, Yadav or Jat - we are Indians and this is all we need to remember. Jai Hind!"
"SRK, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Gandhi and the list must keep growing of those people who will stand up to the devisive hooliganism of the Thackerays. India is not a land of Marathis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Delhiites, etc. It is the land of Indians! We are all members of one body, one family, one India and in a united voice we declare that We The People Of India will fight against the forces of communalism, regionalism, casteism and any other 'ism' that threatens to divide our people. It is time for us to be Indians first and Indians last. Whether Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist or Jew we are Indians. Whether Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi - we are Indians. Whether Dalit, Brahmin, Yadav or Jat - we are Indians and this is all we need to remember. Jai Hind!"
Monday, January 11, 2010
Tribute to my grandfathers
Prashant Solomon's tribute to his grandfathers
January 10, 2010
To all the members of our family that could not be with us today, I first want to say that you are all missed. We wish you could be here, but we understand that coming here on such short notice is difficult. For your benefit, we are going to upload the photos and videos of this event on the Internet soon. To those that could make it, I thank you.
In this month of January, in the year 1910 – (remember this was one hundred years ago before the First World War, before the Titanic sunk) – two men were born. They were named Ezekiel Henry Solomon on January 13 and Samuel Prem Dass, or "Sammy" as he was affectionately called, on January 31.
Ezekiel and Sammy became friends later on in life. They were blessed with great wives namely Nora and Helen and many lovely children. Ezekiel had 9 children, 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Sammy had 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 7 grand grandchildren so far. Unfortunately, Ezekiel never saw any of his grandchildren and Sammy also passed away on my 4th birthday, so my memories of him are not very clear, although I remember that we loved each other a lot and I am told that I use to help him up the stairs because he had some problem in his leg.
Both my grandfathers lived through a very eventful era of history. They saw two bloody World Wars and also India's freedom struggle.
Some time in the 1960s, Ezekiel's third son fell in love with Sammy's third daughter. They got married in 1971 and the next year, their bloodlines mixed together in me. They became my grandfathers and I became their grandson. 12 years later, long after they were both gone, their bloodlines mixed once again in my younger brother.
Both my grandfathers saw a lot of history. Some of it filled with the bloodshed of two World Wars. But like there is sometimes blood in history, there is also history in blood.
Every drop of our blood has a history. It is filled with the genetic information passed down over many generations written in the form of DNA. Written in the language of God. Somewhere encoded within our DNA is the signature and instincts of our forefathers. This is the information through which we are made. So we see that your ancestors are with you not just in the mind, the heart, the soul, but also they are with you in your blood through their DNA.
As the generations progress, more blood is mixed from different blood lines and this continues. It is like during the Holy Communion, when we drink the blood of Christ and eat his body, we are becoming One not only with him, but with each other. We are One in the blood of Christ and likewise we are part of One body. I Corinthians 12 talks about how each part of a body is important. We cannot say that the eye is more important than the hand or that the heart is more important than the brain. Each organ has its role. But together they form an organization, or a body. Each of us is a part of larger Body that we call a family. Each member is unique with their own talents. We are therefore not supposed to compete with each other, but complement each other. We all have our own talents. My brother's talent in music is his. My talent in writing is mine. We will never compete with each other, but complement each other's talent as something that enriches and strengthens the Body of our family.
I met a man recently who had travelled to many countries. He has seen many things including bloody wars. I asked him, what is the one thing that you have learned from all your travels and experiences. Without any hesitation, he said "Family". He said I realized that it is your family that will always be with you. It is your family that gives you strength, he said. You are forever entwined together as family, whether you want it or not, even if you do not always get along, you can never change the fact that you are family.
We get so busy today in our lives that we do not take out enough time for family. There is a story about a six-year-old boy who asked his father how much he made in an hour. The father said 20 dollars and the boy offered his father 20 dollars to come home an hour early, so he could have dinner with him at home. We are so caught up with work, money, fame, success or power that we sometimes forget in the end – who is it all for? As Robin S. Sharma asks in his book with the same title – who will cry when you die?
We are a living testimony to our ancestors and also living blueprints for our descendants. We have a responsibility to both – to our ancestors – to honour their memory, to complete their unfinished goals, to maintain their heritage, to learn from both their triumphs and tragedies, successes and failures, hopes and fears, sins and virtues.
To our descendants – we have the responsibility to live our lives in a way that they will be as proud of us 100 years later, as we are of our forebears. We have a responsibility to them also to try to leave for them a better world than what we were given.
In closing, I will narrate a small little story:
A man asked the wise philosopher: "We often say that our predecessors were wiser than we. But at the same time we criticize their comments, often rejecting them and claiming that the truth rests with us. How is this possible?"
The wise philosopher responded: "Who sees further a dwarf or a giant? Surely a giant for his eyes are situated at a higher level than those of the dwarf. But if the dwarf is placed on the shoulders of the giant who sees further? ... So too we are dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We master their wisdom and move beyond it. Due to their wisdom we grow wise and are able to say all that we say, but not because we are greater than they."
January 10, 2010
To all the members of our family that could not be with us today, I first want to say that you are all missed. We wish you could be here, but we understand that coming here on such short notice is difficult. For your benefit, we are going to upload the photos and videos of this event on the Internet soon. To those that could make it, I thank you.
In this month of January, in the year 1910 – (remember this was one hundred years ago before the First World War, before the Titanic sunk) – two men were born. They were named Ezekiel Henry Solomon on January 13 and Samuel Prem Dass, or "Sammy" as he was affectionately called, on January 31.
Ezekiel and Sammy became friends later on in life. They were blessed with great wives namely Nora and Helen and many lovely children. Ezekiel had 9 children, 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Sammy had 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 7 grand grandchildren so far. Unfortunately, Ezekiel never saw any of his grandchildren and Sammy also passed away on my 4th birthday, so my memories of him are not very clear, although I remember that we loved each other a lot and I am told that I use to help him up the stairs because he had some problem in his leg.
Both my grandfathers lived through a very eventful era of history. They saw two bloody World Wars and also India's freedom struggle.
Some time in the 1960s, Ezekiel's third son fell in love with Sammy's third daughter. They got married in 1971 and the next year, their bloodlines mixed together in me. They became my grandfathers and I became their grandson. 12 years later, long after they were both gone, their bloodlines mixed once again in my younger brother.
Both my grandfathers saw a lot of history. Some of it filled with the bloodshed of two World Wars. But like there is sometimes blood in history, there is also history in blood.
Every drop of our blood has a history. It is filled with the genetic information passed down over many generations written in the form of DNA. Written in the language of God. Somewhere encoded within our DNA is the signature and instincts of our forefathers. This is the information through which we are made. So we see that your ancestors are with you not just in the mind, the heart, the soul, but also they are with you in your blood through their DNA.
As the generations progress, more blood is mixed from different blood lines and this continues. It is like during the Holy Communion, when we drink the blood of Christ and eat his body, we are becoming One not only with him, but with each other. We are One in the blood of Christ and likewise we are part of One body. I Corinthians 12 talks about how each part of a body is important. We cannot say that the eye is more important than the hand or that the heart is more important than the brain. Each organ has its role. But together they form an organization, or a body. Each of us is a part of larger Body that we call a family. Each member is unique with their own talents. We are therefore not supposed to compete with each other, but complement each other. We all have our own talents. My brother's talent in music is his. My talent in writing is mine. We will never compete with each other, but complement each other's talent as something that enriches and strengthens the Body of our family.
I met a man recently who had travelled to many countries. He has seen many things including bloody wars. I asked him, what is the one thing that you have learned from all your travels and experiences. Without any hesitation, he said "Family". He said I realized that it is your family that will always be with you. It is your family that gives you strength, he said. You are forever entwined together as family, whether you want it or not, even if you do not always get along, you can never change the fact that you are family.
We get so busy today in our lives that we do not take out enough time for family. There is a story about a six-year-old boy who asked his father how much he made in an hour. The father said 20 dollars and the boy offered his father 20 dollars to come home an hour early, so he could have dinner with him at home. We are so caught up with work, money, fame, success or power that we sometimes forget in the end – who is it all for? As Robin S. Sharma asks in his book with the same title – who will cry when you die?
We are a living testimony to our ancestors and also living blueprints for our descendants. We have a responsibility to both – to our ancestors – to honour their memory, to complete their unfinished goals, to maintain their heritage, to learn from both their triumphs and tragedies, successes and failures, hopes and fears, sins and virtues.
To our descendants – we have the responsibility to live our lives in a way that they will be as proud of us 100 years later, as we are of our forebears. We have a responsibility to them also to try to leave for them a better world than what we were given.
In closing, I will narrate a small little story:
A man asked the wise philosopher: "We often say that our predecessors were wiser than we. But at the same time we criticize their comments, often rejecting them and claiming that the truth rests with us. How is this possible?"
The wise philosopher responded: "Who sees further a dwarf or a giant? Surely a giant for his eyes are situated at a higher level than those of the dwarf. But if the dwarf is placed on the shoulders of the giant who sees further? ... So too we are dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We master their wisdom and move beyond it. Due to their wisdom we grow wise and are able to say all that we say, but not because we are greater than they."
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The meaning of the word "FAMILY"
(Found this on the Net. Very nice.)
Many of us are neglecting of the word FAMILY especially those who are working and not giving too much attention to people beside them. I personally experienced the same thing but when I've read the story below, it all change my perspective about the people around me. It is a story of a son who wants to buy the time of his father. A very touching story, A simple but very effective in changing the person's life. I got it from an email to me, I don't know where this story originated so I consider this as a God's Letter to all the people who do not know the real meaning of the FAMILY. Here it goes....
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year-old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make $20 an hour."
“Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I please borrow $10 from you?"
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behaviour."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man, "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."
Share this story with someone you like.... But even better, share $20 worth of time with someone you love. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family & friends we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.
So what is the moral of the story???? Don't work too hard... and know who you are working for...and....you know what's a family?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
Many of us are neglecting of the word FAMILY especially those who are working and not giving too much attention to people beside them. I personally experienced the same thing but when I've read the story below, it all change my perspective about the people around me. It is a story of a son who wants to buy the time of his father. A very touching story, A simple but very effective in changing the person's life. I got it from an email to me, I don't know where this story originated so I consider this as a God's Letter to all the people who do not know the real meaning of the FAMILY. Here it goes....
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year-old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.
"If you must know, I make $20 an hour."
“Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I please borrow $10 from you?"
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behaviour."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man, "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."
Share this story with someone you like.... But even better, share $20 worth of time with someone you love. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family & friends we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.
So what is the moral of the story???? Don't work too hard... and know who you are working for...and....you know what's a family?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
Saturday, December 12, 2009
What the hell was the strange blue spiral over Oslo, Norway the night of Obama's Nobel Prize awarding ceremony?
Guys did you hear about the strange spiral over Oslo, Norway the day Obama attended the Nobel award ceremony? It is so strange and I just don't buy the explanation that it was a Russian missile that caused this. People living in Oslo said they have experienced Russian missile tests earlier and nothing ever caused this ...mysterious spiral. Obama also left Oslo in a big hurry without even meeting the King for lunch which is a customary event. Does he know something we don't? Was he in some kind of danger? Just what the hell is going on. Incidentally, Earth entering into the spiral core of some kind is part of the 2012 lore.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Salahis gatecrashing White House dinner was a threat to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also
Everyone is talking about how the Salahis 'gatecrashed' the White House during the State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Not only was it a threat for President Obama, but has anyone even thought that it could have been a serious threat to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well. What if some LeT operative 'gatecrashed' the party. Even if no weapons were brought inside, there was plenty of fancy knives and forks to choose from.
It is surprising that the US Secret Service allowed this serious breach of security.
It is surprising that the US Secret Service allowed this serious breach of security.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Water on the moon
NASA just had a press conference in which they stated that there is a 'significant' amount of water found in the polar region of the moon. It is an interesting day for science and for humankind. One wonders what other secrets are still to be unravelled on the moon. If there is water, could there be life?
It is also a big step towards the establishment of some kind of permanent establishment on the moon.
It is also a big step towards the establishment of some kind of permanent establishment on the moon.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wealth Lessons From Joseph Kennedy
Wealth Lessons From Joseph Kennedy
Interesting tips on making money from the life of Joseph P. Kennedy, father of US President John F. Kennedy.
Interesting tips on making money from the life of Joseph P. Kennedy, father of US President John F. Kennedy.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Prashant Solomon (prasol) on Twitter
Prashant Solomon (prasol) on Twitter: "Most matter is nothing but void. An atom's volume is 98% void. The nucleus has almost 100% of the mass but only 2% of the volume. Think."
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Investing wisely in the stock market in India - some rules to follow
Investing in the stock market is one of the best ways to make money. However, it is something that needs to be done wisely and requires patience. These are some rules to remember while investing. While this is primarily focussed towards investing in India, these rules apply everywhere.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Prashant_Solomon
- Invest for the long term - investing should always be done with a long term view in mind (between three to five years is a good time span). Investing for the long term allows enough time to sway through the volatility that often accompanies the stock market. However, it is also important to keep investing regularly as well. The power of compound growth can only occur over a long period of time. This approach also creates discipline in the investor.
- Invest regularly in small amounts - investing should be a way of life - just like exercise - and should be done regularly. Instead of investing a large amount at a time, it is better to invest small amount at regular intervals of time. A monthly investment is a popular option. This helps in neutralizing the effects of volatility in the market, so that you get more shares when the price is low and less shares when the price is high. Over time, the average cost of accumulation of shares levels out. This also creates a sense of discipline.
- Invest in businesses not just stocks - when you invest in a company's shares, you are buying a little piece of ownership in that company. Buy a business, not just a stock. This approach will make you more aware of the type of business the company is engaged in, its growth prospects and the quality of the company's management. The management of a company is important and an investor should be familiar with at least a few of the people behind the company. This is not a rocket science though. You do not have to know the complete ins and outs of the company, but you should have a fair idea based on research, news items, word of mouth and plain old common sense. Investing in stocks ultimately is about investing in the future prospects of that company and it is always necessary to know something about the nature of business, the products or services, the growth history, management and future plans of the company.
- Do your own research - with the growth of the Internet, it is now possible to do research on companies very easily. Sites like Google finance, yahoo finance, money.rediff.com, moneycontrol.com and economictimes.com are good places to start. The basic things to look at are the PE ratio, growth of EPS, book value, growth of profits, profit & loss, dividend paying history among others. It is better to shortlist companies based on your own research. Look for companies that have lower PE ratios. A company with a low PE ratio generally means that the company's shares are available at a good bargain. However, there are some exceptions. Not every company with a low PE ratio is a good investment. The PE ratio is more about how much of a bargain you are getting on your purchase and does not necessarily indicate anything about the quality of the company itself. But it's a good place to start, along with looking at the profit growth over a few years and growth of EPS (Earnings per share) [PE ratio by the way is -- price of the share/EPS].
- Never invest based on tips - for every 'tip' there are more than a thousand people who lost money. Never invest in any company based on a tip alone. Information is everywhere, but there is also a lot of misinformation. Tips are like rumours, they spread like wildfire and could be with some vested interest behind them. Never believe them. Tips are different from suggestions or tips based on some bona fide research and suggestions received through such sources can be explored by doing further research and then considered.
- Invest only risk capital - never invest money in the stock market unless you have a comfortable amount of money saved up in a bank account. Money invested in the stock market should only be that which is left over after paying all the monthly dues such as children's school fees, rent, bills, etc. As mentioned earlier, invest small amounts regularly.
- Know the risks before investing - while stock markets can be very rewarding, there is an inherent risk in investing in the markets. Stock prices can crash and leave most of your capital wiped out. Know this before investing. If you are willing to take this risk, only then invest. However, like all risks you can say that the greatest risk of all is not taking any risk. Higher the risk, higher the return. Know this and be prepared for what goes with the territory.
- Diversify your investments - Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Buy stocks of companies across sectors. Do not over-diversify. Scattering your capital across too many stocks is as bad as not diversifying. A basket of 10-15 stocks is ideal.
- Book profits regularly - it is important to book profits at regular intervals. Whenever your investment reaches a predefined target, it is good to book partial or full profits. You can always buy again later at a lower price. No money can be made until you sell. The idea is to buy low, sell high and then repeat.
- Cut losses - always remember not to hold on to losing stocks for too long unless you have a very good reason to. The feeling of not wanting to be wrong is not a good reason. We all learn from mistakes and everyone including investing legends like Warren Buffet and Rakesh Jhunjhunwala also have made their share of mistakes. Learn to acknowledge your mistake and cut your losses by selling your losing shares. Consider it as a price for tuition.
- Patience is a virtue - small drops form an ocean, fortresses are made brick by brick and so it is with building wealth. Do not entertain dreams of becoming rich overnight. Start investing early and regularly and keep doing it over years. It takes years to build wealth. Over years you can accumulate good quality stocks that will earn you great riches. But it takes time. Do not be impatient. Enjoy the ride.
- Enjoy yourself - investing is a lot of fun and everyone has their own style of investing and their own choice of portfolios. Invest in companies that you are interested in and enjoy the ride. Remember this always - never let success get to your head and never take failure to your heart. Keep trying and enjoy!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Prashant_Solomon
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Bangalore visit
Just returned from a one day trip to Bangalore or should I say Bengaluru, India's "garden city". I must say, weather wise in India, you cannot beat Bangalore. The new airport is great and the flight was very smooth. Air India is pretty good.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The children of the Mughal empire
The Mughal Empire has always fascinated me. What would India be without the Taj Mahal or Red Fort? It is the Taj Mahal that is India's wonder of the world and the most attractive tourist destination in the country. It is the Red Fort from which the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation every August 15th. These are also two of the greatest monuments of the Mughal period, windows into a time that the Mughal empire was perhaps the greatest on Earth.
Tales of Akbar and Birbal are an old time favourite. The Mughal emperors hold a certain grand aura about them that most other kings, queens, emperors and empresses of the world do not match up to (with the possible exceptions of Ashoka, Alexander the Great, Victoria and maybe a few more).
Notable Bollywood films like Mughal-e-Azam and more recently Jodha Akbar have captured the story of the greatest Mughal emperor Akbar in reasonable detail. The Mughals are a part of our history and of our modern day culture.
But what ever happened to them? We know that Bahadur Shah Zafar was the "last Mughal emperor" although the empire had been decaying for one and a half centuries before him. This is a link to an interesting story I found about the conditions that the last Mughal emperor's descendants are living in today. I thought you might find it interesting.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/31340-mughal-emperors-descendants-penniless
Tales of Akbar and Birbal are an old time favourite. The Mughal emperors hold a certain grand aura about them that most other kings, queens, emperors and empresses of the world do not match up to (with the possible exceptions of Ashoka, Alexander the Great, Victoria and maybe a few more).
Notable Bollywood films like Mughal-e-Azam and more recently Jodha Akbar have captured the story of the greatest Mughal emperor Akbar in reasonable detail. The Mughals are a part of our history and of our modern day culture.
But what ever happened to them? We know that Bahadur Shah Zafar was the "last Mughal emperor" although the empire had been decaying for one and a half centuries before him. This is a link to an interesting story I found about the conditions that the last Mughal emperor's descendants are living in today. I thought you might find it interesting.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/31340-mughal-emperors-descendants-penniless
Friday, September 18, 2009
Cattle class and Shashi Tharoor
OK, it is now a matter of debate. Was Mr. Shashi Tharoor, India's minister of state for external affairs right or wrong when he made his famous 'cattle class' tweet? He justified his online remark by saying that he was referring to the way economy class passengers are treated by the airlines. But then again, Mr. Tharoor follows his 'cattle class' phrase with 'the other Holy cows' in reference to other politicians like Mrs. Sonia and Mr. Rahul Gandhi who are also on this so-called 'austerity drive'.
Whether what Mr. Tharoor says is true or not, he needs to realise that while politicians and ministers also enjoy freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution of India, they also have certain duties as public servants and one of these would be to respect the actions and views of their political parties and government and think twice before tweeting. Mr. Tharoor needs to understand that he is now no longer a 'normal tweeting citizen', he is a minister in the government of India and needs to refrain from making such silly remarks that too for the whole world to read. Considering that he worked in the United Nations and almost become the Secretary-General, who needs to learn a little more about diplomacy towards his party and to the Indian public.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Delhi lashed by rains. Roads jammed
Well, it finally rained! Correction - it rained like Hell! But along with the rain came the utter chaos on the roads in New Delhi. It is absolutely ridiculous that the nation's capital gets completely screwed with just one rain! The roads are completely jammed. Traffic is in total chaos and it takes hours to travel barely a few kilometres.
Why? Obviously, the drainage system in Delhi is an utter failure. Is anyone cleaning the drains? We pay taxes to the government and so money should not be the problem. Maybe the problem is with honesty and the sense of duty in our public servants - which include the safai karamcharis by the way!
The next time you want to walk on the moon and visit one of the craters, don't bother applying to NASA. A walk down one of the roads in Delhi will give you a good enough idea. The roads have craters in them, obviously from the poor quality of materials being used in them.
I believe next year there is a certain Commonwealth Games happening in this same city. God forbid if it rains. I know for a fact that we will not win the Gold Medal for civic infrastructure.
Why? Obviously, the drainage system in Delhi is an utter failure. Is anyone cleaning the drains? We pay taxes to the government and so money should not be the problem. Maybe the problem is with honesty and the sense of duty in our public servants - which include the safai karamcharis by the way!
The next time you want to walk on the moon and visit one of the craters, don't bother applying to NASA. A walk down one of the roads in Delhi will give you a good enough idea. The roads have craters in them, obviously from the poor quality of materials being used in them.
I believe next year there is a certain Commonwealth Games happening in this same city. God forbid if it rains. I know for a fact that we will not win the Gold Medal for civic infrastructure.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
We are spiritual beings
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
UberTwitter is cool
I was looking for a good Twitter client to install on my Blackberry. So, after some surfing around, I found Twitterberry. I installed it and used it, but it was not too user friendly and was very confusing when it came to uploads photos. So, I did some more surfing and found UberTwitter. This is a very cool application for a single interface between Twitter & your Blackberry handset. It is very user friendly and uploading photos is very easy. I recommend UberTwitter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)