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 Best,  Best, 
 Mark Mark
 +
 +====== Living Rich #14: Developing a Rich Mind: Richness From Movies ======
 +
 +There is a Chinese proverb that goes something like this: "​Pearls don't lie on the seashore. If you want one, you have to dive for it." ​
 +
 +In this series on the rich mind, I've been applying this observation to the way we choose to spend our time - at work and at play. 
 +
 +I've argued that to enjoy a full, rewarding life, you must spend your work time focusing on projects you value, and your leisure time on activities that somehow improve you as a person. ​
 +
 +For example, in my essay on literature I pointed out how some novels - think Danielle Steele or John Grisham - are easy to read and loads of fun (if you like that sort of thing), but provide no lasting pleasures. You read them quickly, caught up in the plot or amused by certain well-drawn characters. But then you put the books down and forget about them. You've invested time into them and you've gotten a return on your investment, but the return was very modest. ​
 +
 +Compare that experience to reading Sophie'​s Choice or Lolita, books that are more "​difficult."​ Such books challenge you on every level. The authors'​ writing styles are more sophisticated. Their plots are less conventional. Their characters are more complex and/or fluid, like people tend to be in real life. And there are ideas presented throughout the story - ideas that often test your convictions and notions and beliefs. ​
 +
 +For lack of a more precise term, we categorize more challenging books (and music and art) as "​better."​ But what makes one book or symphony or painting better than another? ​
 +
 +I've said that there are three qualities that are usually present in "​better"​ literature and music and art: complexity, subtlety, and emotional power. ​
 +
 +Think about that for a moment. Complexity. Subtlety. Emotional power. Dealing with complexity requires a sharp mind. Dealing with subtlety requires attentive eyes and ears. Taking in something that has emotional power requires emotional resilience. ​
 +
 +By "​complexity,"​ I don't mean complicated. I don't mean, for example, a book with a plot line that has 17 different threads running through it. I mean that there is something in the work that goes deeper than the surface and encompasses more than the obvious. ​
 +
 +Hemingway'​s The Old Man and the Sea has a very simple plot line: A poor fisherman goes out to sea, catches a huge fish, and is unable to get it back to shore before it is decimated by sharks. But the story itself is so much more than that. By the time you've finished reading this very slim book, you feel like you understand in some deep way not only this man, but also something more about poverty and nobility and human grace. ​
 +
 +By subtlety, I mean something like the opposite of obvious. I mean that the subject matter is treated with delicacy and precision. The artist/​writer/​composer is not satisfied with presenting the obvious. He wants to convey the complexity he sees in his subject matter in an understated way. He does this so the viewer/​reader/​listener can discover the complexity on his own. 
 +
 +The third criterion, emotional power, denotes something more than the capacity to provoke an immediate emotional response (fear/​pity/​sympathy). The objective-if you can say that there is an objective - is to elicit a response that is both deep and enduring. To leave the viewer/​reader/​listener a slightly different person than he was before. ​
 +
 +It is, for example, impossible to read Lolita without coming away from it troubled by your sympathy for the main character who is, by any definition, a pedophile. ​
 +
 +In discussing art, literature, and music I've said that you can make your mental/​emotional life richer by choosing to spend your leisure time with works that have complexity, subtlety, and emotional power. ​
 +
 +The same is true for movies. (In this essay, I'm going to focus on movies - but everything I say will apply equally well to TV shows.) ​
 +
 +Most movies - certainly most movies made in Hollywood (or Bollywood for that matter) - are made to be fast-paced and fun to watch. Whether it's a thriller starring Harrison Ford or a comedy starring Adam Sandler, the producer'​s goal is to sell tickets. ​
 +
 +This is true even for many movies that win awards. Take the most obvious relatively recent example: Titanic. It was a major motion picture that won 11 Academy Awards. You don't need to be a film snob to see that Titanic had near-zero complexity, zero subtlety, and that any emotional power it had was the kind Hallmark greeting cards are known for. 
 +
 +You may have liked Titanic. But liking a movie is not necessarily a criterion for judging its ability to enrich you. 
 +
 +Movies, like food, come in many degrees of quality. Some movies are like junk food - they provide temporary satisfaction. But that satisfaction sometimes turns to other emotions (regret, guilt, anger) after you have indulged. And a steady diet of such fare will leave your mind flabby. ​
 +
 +Good movies, like good books, do more than tell stories. They provoke your thinking, challenging you to go deeper and further with ideas than you otherwise might. They inflame your aesthetic sensibility,​ even if you never thought you had one. And when they are very good, they can change or deepen your perspective... and, in doing so, enrich your life. 
 +
 +That said, here are five lists of movies that I strongly recommend. Keep in mind these lists are based on the movies I've seen, which represents only a fraction of the good movies out there. ​
 +
 +My Top 20 Older Movies in English
 +
 +
 +All About Eve
 +Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
 +Casablanca
 +The Maltese Falcon
 +The Wizard of Oz
 +The Bridge on the River Kwai
 +To Kill a Mockingbird
 +Rear Window
 +The Third Man
 +Vertigo
 +Psycho
 +Some Like It Hot
 +Sunset Boulevard
 +Gone With the Wind
 +The African Queen
 +Double Indemnity
 +Rebel Without a Cause
 +City Lights
 +Frankenstein
 +Lawrence of Arabia
 +
 +My Top 20 Modern Movies in English
 +
 +The Godfather, Part I
 +Pulp Fiction
 +Apocalypse Now
 +The Conversation
 +Bonnie and Clyde
 +Taxi Driver
 +Schindler'​s List
 +Five Easy Pieces
 +The Deer Hunter
 +Reservoir Dogs
 +Slum Dog Millionaire
 +Amadeus
 +The French Connection
 +The Graduate
 +Jaws
 +One Flew Over the Cuckoo'​s Nest
 +American Graffiti
 +Easy Rider
 +Goodfellas
 +The Godfather, Part II
 +
 +My Top 10 Recent (Since 2000) Movies in English
 +
 +The King's Speech
 +Her
 +Argo
 +The Artist
 +Midnight in Paris
 +The Social Network
 +Searching for Sugar Man
 +A Separation
 +Winter'​s Bone
 +Crash
 +
 +My Top 10 Foreign Films
 +
 +La Dolce Vita (Italian)
 +8½ (Italian)
 +Breathless (French)
 +M (German)
 +The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (French)
 +The Seven Samurai (Japanese)
 +My Night at Maud's (French)
 +The 400 Blows (French)
 +Flowers of Shanghai (Chinese)
 +The Bicycle Thief (Italian)
 +
 +My Top 10 Recent (Since 2000) Foreign Films
 +
 +The Hunt (Danish)
 +Amour (French)
 +The Baader Meinhof Complex (German)
 +Departures (Japanese)
 +The Lives of Others (German)
 +The Sea Inside (Spanish)
 +Amélie (French)
 +Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Chinese)
 +Tsotsi (South African)
 +Footnote (Israeli)
 +
 +WBC India has put together lists from some of India'​s most classic movies both regional and Hindi. We have deliberately stayed away from the typical Blockbuster 100-crore plus films and have chosen a few that we believe represent Mark's ideas and go beyond entertainment. Most of these movies are representative of their times and challenge conventional thought. ​
 +
 +These movies are a random selection from our research online, but we encourage you to build your own lists and share suggestions with readers on the WBC Forum too. 
 +
 +Top 10 Regional Films (Older)
 +
 +Pather Panchali (Bengali)
 +Meghe Dhaka Tara (Bengali)
 +Apur Sansar (Bengali)
 +Charulata (Bengali)
 +Sant Tukaram (Marathi)
 +Gad Ala Pan Sinha Gela (Marathi)
 +Ghatashraddha (Kannada)
 +Garam Hawa (Urdu)
 +Elippathayam (Malayalam)
 +Sarada (Malayalam)
 +
 +Top 10 Regional Films (Recent)
 +
 +Iruvar (Tamil)
 +Chokher Bali (Bengali)
 +Classmates (Malayalam)
 +Vaaname Ellai - The Sky is the Limit (Tamil)
 +Anjali (Tamil / Hindi)
 +The Terrorist (Tamil / Hindi)
 +Mai (Bhojpuri)
 +Hamaar Bhauji (Bhojpuri)
 +Shwaas (Marathi)
 +Natrang (Marathi)
 +
 +Top 20 Hindi Films (Older)
 +
 +Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro
 +Sholay
 +Pakeezah
 +Mughal-e-Azam
 +Anand
 +Andaz
 +Pyaasa
 +Mother India
 +Arth
 +Shatranj ke Khiladi
 +Saransh
 +Guide
 +Prem Rog
 +Deewar
 +Kaagaz ke Phool
 +Madhumati
 +Mera Naam Joker
 +Safar
 +Kal Aaj aur Kal
 +Ardh Satya
 +
 +Top 20 Hindi Films (Recent)
 +
 +Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge
 +Lage Raho Munnabhai
 +3 Idiots
 +Taare Zameen Par
 +Gangs of Wasseypur I and II
 +Kai Poche
 +Swades
 +The Lunchbox
 +Slumdog Millionaire
 +Sarfarosh
 +Queen
 +Rockstar
 +A Wednesday
 +Lagaan
 +Rang De Basanti
 +Monsoon Wedding
 +Bandit Queen
 +Kala Pani
 +Dil Chahta Hai
 +Salaam Bombay
 +
 +
 +You can easily develop your own "Top 10" or "Top 20" lists. And I urge you to do it. Start with my lists or get on the Internet to find some others. Don't be surprised when you find that most of these lists overlap. There'​s a reason why some movies are consistently rated at the top. It is because they are - compared to the average movie - more complex, subtle, and emotionally powerful. ​
 +
 +Then set some time aside to watch these movies, one after the other. Don't feel compelled to like them just because other people do. And don't feel compelled to watch any movie all the way through. Give it at least 20 minutes. If you're not involved by then, go on to the next movie. ​
 +
 +The idea is to be your own judge. But the criteria should not be how "​easy"​ or "​fun"​ it was to watch a particular movie, but how it affected you afterward. Did it give you a new view on some aspect of life? Did it teach you something interesting that helps you understand how things work? Did it stimulate your thinking? ​
 +
 +The goal is to build your own list of movies that you can watch again and again... getting more out of them each and every time you do. 
 +
 +Best, 
 +Mark 
 +
 +Resources for Indian movie lists - Get ideas from here and make your own hit lists:
 +
 +http://​filmschoolwtf.com/​best-bollywood-movies/​
 +http://​www.ndtv.com/​photos/​entertainment/​india-s-20-greatest-films-1124/​slide/​20
 +http://​www.thehindu.com/​features/​cinema/​at-their-regional-best/​article2343088.ece
 +http://​www.quora.com/​Which-are-some-of-the-most-underrated-regional-language-films-in-India
 +http://​en.wikipedia.org/​wiki/​National_Film_Award_for_Best_Feature_Film_in_Tamil
 +http://​www.imdb.com/​list/​ls054751902/​
 +http://​www.theguardian.com/​film/​2013/​jul/​25/​10-classics-indian-cinema-centenary
 +
 +====== Living Rich #15: Making Our Lives Golden: The Choices We Have ======
 +
 +Now that our last child is about to leave home, K and I are talking about getting television service. For about 20 years, we have been without it. The idea was that our children would become better readers without the distraction - and that objective was achieved. All three of our boys are voracious and skillful readers. ​
 +
 +But now, as empty nesters, we are thinking that it would be kind of fun to watch some shows together - to spend an hour after dinner, sitting next to one another, laughing at the same things. ​
 +
 +To test this hypothesis, we jimmy-rigged an antenna connection for the television set that we've been using to play DVDs. 
 +
 +The results of that experiment were mixed. There was something wonderful about watching those programs together - the double pleasure of the experience itself and knowing that your mate is "​getting it" too. But when it was over, we found ourselves feeling like we used to when we watched television - a little sad and empty inside. As if we were mourning the time we'd lost. 
 +
 +That got me thinking about how people spend their recreational time - how much time they devote to it, the things they do, and whether the time they spend is spent wisely. ​
 +
 +Broadly speaking, you fill your day with four kinds of activities: working, sleeping, eating, and relaxing. And it seems logical to assert that - up to the point of mental or physical exhaustion - the more hours you spend working, the more successful you'll be. 
 +
 +That said, we must acknowledge that all work and no play makes Jack a dull... or cranky... boy. 
 +
 +You do need some recreation. The question is: How much? 
 +
 +The answer to that is pretty simple. Just ask yourself how far you want to go in life. How smart you want to be. How high you want to rise in your industry. How much money you want to make. 
 +
 +What accomplishments you want to achieve. ​
 +
 +Determine how ambitious you are... and then find out how many hours of work were done per day by people who have already achieved what you want to achieve. Unless you are exceptionally gifted (or exceptionally slow), chances are you will have to work about as hard (i.e., as many hours) as they did. 
 +
 +Take the number of hours you sleep and eat and add to that the number of hours successful people in your industry typically work. Subtract that from 24, and you will be left with the number of hours you can safely devote to recreation. ​
 +
 +But there is another question that must be asked: Does the kind of recreational activities you engage in make a difference? Does it matter whether you are sitting in front of the TV watching some show or lifting weights or playing a musical instrument? ​
 +
 +In general, there are three ways you can occupy yourself during down time. You can amuse yourself with activities that, though fun, are harmful (like getting drunk). You can busy yourself with mindless distractions (like junky novels). Or you can choose to do something that requires a bit more energy but will give you both a high degree of pleasure and the knowledge that you have somehow improved yourself (like practicing yoga). ​
 +
 +It seems to me that whether it is the work we do, the sports we play, the vacations we take... we have the same three choices. We can do something that:
 +
 +
 +Improves us somehow
 +Leaves us more or less the same
 +Damages us in some way
 +
 +Look at almost any activity, and you will see what I'm talking about. In the books you read. In the friends you keep. In the jobs you take. You name it. Some choices will improve you and some will damage you... but most will fall somewhere in the neutral zone: They won't harm you. But they won't help you either. ​
 +
 +If we fill our lives with mediocre experiences - does that make sense? ​
 +
 +Every day, we are given dozens of choices - from which foods to eat to which parts of the newspaper to read to which words to say in any given conversation. Many of these choices seem to be insignificant. But when you string them all together, they determine the quality of our lives. ​
 +
 +At the lowest end of the scale, there'​s the person who spends his time using drugs or stealing to pay for his addiction. At the highest end of the scale - well, I don't really know who that is. But when I think of rich guys in limos or holy men on mountains... that just doesn'​t work. 
 +
 +Most of us live in the middle ground, mixing quality experiences with neutral ones while trying not to harm ourselves... but doing so anyway. We recognize that some of the choices we make are better than others, but we don't always have the willpower to make the better ones. 
 +
 +It's interesting,​ isn't it? The best choices are often the hardest to choose... because they require more of our energy. The worst choices are usually the easiest to refuse... because we are frightened by them. But when we have experienced them and found them to be pleasurable,​ they have the greatest pull on us. The neutral choices - the actions that do little more than get the job done - are the most popular because they are relatively easy and benign. They don't require much energy and they don't leave us hurting. ​
 +
 +If there is one thing that life gives us all in equal portion, it is the hours in a day. Everyone has 24. We can't determine (with any certainty) how many total hours will be allotted to us, but we can decide how to spend those that we have. 
 +
 +As I pointed out earlier, the more time you spend working, the more successful you're likely to be. But I acknowledged that even the most ambitious and hardest workers need to take at least a few hours out of their day to do something that gives them pleasure. Something that isn't work. 
 +
 +The question then becomes, "What should that '​something'​ be?" ​
 +
 +Think of the best choices - the ones that improve you - as Golden. Think of the neutral choices - the ones that just help you pass the time - as Vaporous. And think of the worst choices - the ones that damage you - as Acidic. ​
 +
 +It's up to you how much Gold, Vapor, and Acid you are going to have in your life. 
 +
 +When I think of my own choices - good, bad, and neutral - I notice that they have the following characteristics:​
 +
 +Golden Choices
 +
 +My best experiences tend to be with activities that are intellectually challenging and emotionally engaging. Because they demand a lot from me, I shy away from them when I am low in energy. But when I do get into them, they build my energy and, thus, make it easier to continue. When I am through with a Golden activity, I feel good about myself and content with how I have spent my time.
 +
 +Vaporous Choices
 +
 +These activities are easy to slip into and easier, too, to stay involved with. They are the choices we make when we don't feel like making choices. The time we spend when we don't much care how we spend our time. Welcome to the Vapor zone, the neutral, happy world of playing cards and soap operas and gossip. ​
 +
 +When I'm ready for some relaxation, my first impulse is always to choose a Vaporous activity. Having "​worked hard all day," I want something simple and mindless so I can gear down. And most people would probably say the same thing. Getting into the Vapor zone is easy - and staying there is easier still. ​
 +
 +The big problem with Vaporous activities - and this is a very big problem for me - is that they leave me feeling enervated instead of energized. And empty. Vaporous activities do for me what Vaporous foods (i.e., comfort foods) do: They fill me up but tire me out.
 +
 +Acidic Choices
 +
 +Everybody has vices. At one time or another, I've had just about all of them. I have never smoked crack, but I've done plenty of other things to destroy, reduce, or disable myself. ​
 +
 +Why I do those things, I can only guess. Sometimes I think I need the challenge of surviving self-imposed obstacles. Whatever my reasons, the result of making those choices is the same. I get a dull pleasure that is mixed with a barely discernable level of pain. Even when the pleasure is intense, it is clouded by a foggy brain. It feels like I'm having a great time... but I am not sure. And if the actual experience of Acidic activities is mixed, the feeling afterward is not at all ambivalent. ​
 +
 +It is bad. 
 +
 +The interesting thing about Acidic options is how attractive they can be. Nobody would argue that they are good choices. We pick them because we are too weak to pick anything else, and we use what little mind we have left to rationalize our self-destruction.
 +
 +Let's Take a Closer Look at These 3 Categories
 +
 +When we are at our best - confident and full of energy - we can easily choose Golden activities over all the rest. When we are feeling just okay, we can usually reject Acidic choices but find it hard to opt for Golden moments over Vaporous ones. And when we are at our worst - low in energy and full of doubt - that is when we are most susceptible to making Acidic choices. ​
 +
 +Golden activities include:
 +
 +Meditation ​
 +
 +Yoga 
 +
 +Watching an educational and inspiring documentary ​
 +
 +Listening to complex, uplifting music 
 +
 +Appreciating art 
 +
 +Watching a really, really good movie 
 +
 +Reading a very good book 
 +
 +Tasting a really good wine
 +
 +Vaporous activities include:
 +
 +Getting a massage ​
 +
 +Going to a sporting event 
 +
 +Watching most "​entertaining"​ TV (like CID, Comedy with Kapil, etc.) 
 +
 +Reading "​beach"​ novels and page-turners ​
 +
 +Listening to most mood music, including most rock '​n'​ roll 
 +
 +Drinking beer or whiskey
 +
 +Acidic activities include:
 +
 +Getting drunk 
 +
 +Listening to popular music 
 +
 +Watching stupid/​degrading TV shows (like Big Boss, Roadies, etc) 
 +
 +Doing things you'd be ashamed to talk about
 +
 +You may not agree with some of these designations. Not to worry. You can (and should) make your own list. But in creating that list, consider the following: ​
 +
 +When Choosing Gold...
 +
 +The activity/​experience is intellectually challenging. It teaches you something worth knowing or develops a skill worth having. ​
 +
 +It is emotionally deepening. It helps you understand something you hadn't understood before and/or makes you sympathetic to experiences and/or situations you were closed to. 
 +
 +It is energizing. The experience itself charges you up spiritually,​ emotionally,​ and intellectually. You have greater strength and more endurance because of it. 
 +
 +It leaves you happy with your choice. During the experience and afterward, you have a strong sense that you are doing the right thing. ​
 +
 +It builds confidence. Because you know that you are improving yourself, choosing Gold makes you feel better able to make wise choices in the future.
 +
 +When Choosing Vapor...
 +
 +The activity/​experience is intellectually and emotionally easy. It feels comfortable and comfortably enjoyable. You have done it before and it amused you, so you are sure that if you do it again you will be equally amused. ​
 +
 +It is usually passive rather than active. It is watching TV rather than going to a stage play. It is getting a massage rather than practicing yoga. It is chugging a beer rather than savoring a good wine. 
 +
 +It tends to be habit forming. Because it feels good (in a medium-energy sort of way) and is so easy to do, you find yourself doing it over and over again. ​
 +
 +Doing too much of it is not good for you. Whether it's eating starch and fat or sitting on the couch and staring at the TV screen, a little bit doesn'​t hurt. But too much leaves you with the unpleasant feeling that you've wasted your time.
 +
 +When Choosing Acid...
 +
 +The activity/​experience is physically or mentally damaging. Often, it kills brain cells. Sometimes, it gives you cancer. ​
 +
 +Although it is bad for you, it is alluring. There is something about the way the experience takes you out of yourself that you find appealing. ​
 +
 +It attracts bad company. Since most healthy people don't approve of it, you find yourself doing it with another set of friends. Eventually, you reject the friends and family members who don't "get it." They are too strait-laced to understand, so you figure you don't need them in your life. 
 +
 +It disables you intellectually,​ emotionally and physically. While engaging in Acidic activities, you are less capable of performing complex skills or dealing with complex emotional or intellectual issues. If you engage in Acidic activities a lot, you become less capable of peak performance generally. ​
 +
 +Acidic experiences have ever-extending thresholds. What gives you a high in the beginning is never enough, later on. You have the mistaken notion that more is always better.
 +
 +Will This Make a Change in the Choices You Make?
 +
 +Once you've drawn up your own list of Golden, Vaporous, and Acidic activities, use it to keep track of the way you're choosing to spend your time. (A good way to do that is to make notes in your journal.) You may be surprised - and disappointed - by what you discover. ​
 +
 +So make your own list. Track your own life. Ask yourself what you could become if - starting right now - you began making better choices. ​
 +
 +In the meantime, I am going to have a talk with K about our tentative plans for installing cable TV in our house. I will tell her my fears:
 +
 +That I will become addicted to it 
 +
 +That I will begin to watch the worst kind of shows 
 +
 +That in watching more and more Vaporous TV, I will spend less time on Golden activities
 +
 +She will point out that she is content watching her three or four favorite shows on video while she is on her Stairmaster. She will tell me, "Do what you want. It makes no difference to me" - and she will mean it. Which will make me entirely responsible for figuring out how much of my free time will be Golden or Vaporous or Acidic. ​
 +
 +What about you? 
 +
 +Best, 
 +Mark
 +
 +====== Living Rich #16: Richness From Music ======
 +
 +The Philistine believes that appreciating music requires a multi-thousand-dollar investment in a state-of-the-art sound system. The man with the rich mind understands that what determines his musical enjoyment is not the quality of the sound equipment but the quality of the music itself.
 +By that I mean the subtlety, complexity and emotional power of the musical score combined with the technical quality of the performance.
 +
 +Everyone has a right to like whatever sort of music he likes. But that doesn'​t mean that all music is equally capable of providing a rich auditory experience.
 +
 +I do think that some forms of music are "​richer"​ than others. The criteria are, as I suggested above, subtlety, complexity and emotional power.
 +
 +If you accept those criteria it shouldn'​t be difficult to agree that some forms of music (i.e., classical) are generally better than others (pop). But within any individual musical genre there are some pieces that are more complex, subtle and emotionally powerful than others.
 +
 +Because rich music is both complex and subtle it tends to be an acquired taste. One of my colleagues, Chris, recently told me that when he began to listen to classical music he found Johann Sebastian Bach to be "​boring."​ So boring, he said, that he would often fall asleep while listening to it.
 +
 +But since Bach is generally considered to be a great genius, he made an effort to appreciate his work. He listened to him almost every day for months until one day something changed inside him.
 +
 +The point is: if the music itself is complex, subtle and emotionally powerful, you can acquire a taste for it. And once you do acquire that taste, you can enjoy a lifetime of listening to music of many kinds.
 +
 +Towards that end, I've compiled a group of "top ten" suggestions for a number of different musical types. ​
 +
 +(In shortlisting a larger list of critically recommended favourites to ten I realized how insane "top ten" lists are. I could have easily created five top-ten lists for each category. Still, if you are looking to venture into new musical territory, these will get you started.)
 +
 +Classical:
 +
 +
 +A good start would be to try the following ten recordings:
 +Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 - the most famous piece of classical music ever written
 +Mozart - Piano Concertos 20, 21
 +Beethoven - the "​Pathetique"​ and "​Moonlight"​ piano sonatas
 +Bach - Brandenburg Concertos
 +Brahms - Piano Trio No. 1
 +Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
 +Schubert - "Death and the Maiden"​ string quartet
 +Tchaikovsky - the "​Pathetique"​ symphony
 +Haydn - Lord Nelson Mass
 +Bizet - Carmen - the world'​s most popular opera
 +
 +Jazz:
 +
 +Take the A Train - Duke Ellington
 +My Favorite Things - John Coltrane
 +All Blues - Miles Davis
 +The Girl From Ipanema - Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto
 +Sing, Sing, Sing - Benny Goodman
 +A Night in Tunisia - Dizzy Gillespie
 +Blue Rondo a la Turk - Dave Brubeck
 +Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson
 +West End Blues - Louis Armstrong
 +God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday
 +
 +Opera:
 +
 +Mozart - Marriage of Figaro
 +Bizet - Carmen
 +Verdi - Rigoletto
 +Puccini - Tosca
 +Beethoven - Fidelio
 +Debussy - Pelleas and Melisande
 +Janacek - Cunning Little Vixen
 +Berg - Wozzeck
 +Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin
 +Massenet - Werther
 +
 +Rock and Roll:
 +
 +Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
 +(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
 +Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
 +Maybellene - Chuck Berry
 +I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
 +What'd I Say - Ray Charles
 +My Generation - The Who
 +A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
 +Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
 +Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
 +
 +Country:
 +
 +Streets of Loredo -- Burl Ives
 +White Lightning - George Jones
 +Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette
 +Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson
 +I Walk The Line - Johnny Cash
 +Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford
 +The Dance - Garth Brooks
 +I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams, Sr.
 +El Paso - Marty Robbins
 +Crazy - Patsy Cline
 +
 +Rhythm/​Blues:​
 +
 +My Girl - Temptations
 +Back to Black Amy Winehouse
 +Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
 +Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
 +A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
 +Just To Be Close To You - The Commodores
 +If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes
 +Say It Loud - James Brown
 +When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge
 +Little Red Corvette, Prince
 +
 +Folk:
 +
 +This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
 +Blowin'​ in the Wind - Bob Dylan
 +City of New Orleans - Steve Goodman
 +If I Had a Hammer - Pete Seeger
 +Where Have All the Flowers Gone - The Kingston Trio
 +Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
 +The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell
 +Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Bob Dylan
 +Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez
 +Sounds of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
 +
 +These were Mark's lists of music that have an emotional, complex and subtle appeal. Keeping this criteria in mind, WBC India developed its own lists of music from different genres to give you a preview in to the rich sounds of India'​s musical heritage. ​
 +
 +Classical (albums):
 +
 +Call of the Valley - Pandit Shivkumaar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra
 +Collaborations - George Harrison & Ravi Shankar
 +Traces of You - Anoushka Shankar
 +Jugalbandi - Hariprasad Chaurasia
 +Davataa - Pt. Jasraj
 +The Masterworks - Pt Kumar Gandharva
 +Mohan'​s Veena - Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
 +Traditional Music of India - Ali Akbar Khan
 +Global Fusion - L. Subramaniam
 +Maestro'​s Choice - Bismillah Khan
 +
 +Sufi:
 +
 +Khwaja Mere Khwaja - A.R Rahman
 +Kun Faya Kun - A.R Rahman, Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan
 +Arziya - Javed Ali
 +Allah Ke Bande - Kailash Kher
 +Maula Mere Maula - Roop Kumar Rathod
 +Piya Haji Ali -  Kadar Ghulam Mustafa
 +Mann Ki Lagan - Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
 +Ya Ali - Zubeen Garg
 +Maula Mere - Salim Merchant, Krishna Beura
 +Ya Rabba -  Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Sameer
 +
 +Ghazals:
 +
 +Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo - Farida Khanum
 +Aap Ki Yaad Aati Rahi - Abida Parveen
 +Chupke Chupke Raat Din - Ghulam Ali
 +Ranjish Hi Sahi - Mehdi Hassan
 +Main Khayal Hoon Kisi Aur Ka - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
 +Baat Niklegi Toh Phir - Jagjit Singh
 +Zindagi Jabbhi Teri Bazm Mein - Talat Aziz
 +Mausam Ayenge Jaayenge - Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain
 +Apni Dhun Mein Rehta Hun: Nasir Kazmi
 +Mein Khayal Hoon - Hariharan
 +
 +Indie-pop:
 +
 +Bachpan ki Badami Yadein - Ali Haider
 +Punjab - Jasbir Jassi
 +Circles - The Bicycle Days
 +This Feels Right - Ujjayinee Roy
 +In The Name Of - Abiogenesis
 +Maye Ni - Jasleen Royal
 +Sajni Tu Hai - Ayaz Ismail ft. Vaibhav Sheth
 +Shiva Tandava Stotram - Archan
 +Naina - Rock Veda
 +This Never Happened - Plus One
 +
 +India has an unlimited khazana of rich music and we have just touched upon a few names and artists. So if you exhaust this list, feel free to explore some more artists and their music with ideas from these links. ​
 +
 +Resources:
 +
 +40 Greatest Ghazal Hits Best of Ghazals Ever
 +100 Most Famous Ghazals
 +Top 10 Ghazals ​ Of All Time  ​
 +17 Indie artists you need to know
 +Artist Aloud Top 20
 +Indian Classical Top Albums
 +Indian Classical
 +Indian Classical Album Highlights
 +Indian Classical Albums
 +Bollywood'​s 10 Best Sufi Songs
 +Top 10 Sufi Songs In Bollywood
 +
 +====== Living Rich #17: Richness From Reading ======
 +
 +I cannot live without books. - Thomas Jefferson
 +
 +I grew up in a family of readers. My mother could easily (and often did) read a book a day. My father was a Shakespearean scholar who taught speed-reading on the side. If you walked through our house on any day at any time, you'd find several people reading. Reading, we all believed, was an essential part of a rich and productive life.
 +
 +I believe that still. And I will tell you why.
 +
 +How Reading Can Make You Smarter
 +
 +Reading makes you smarter. In fact, it makes you smarter in almost every way you can be smart.
 +
 +Studies show that people who read on a regular basis have higher raw intelligence,​ better analytical skills, stronger perceptive powers, and perform better when it comes to intellectual challenges.
 +
 +If that were not enough, reading also improves emotional intelligence. In one study, participants read excerpts from literary fiction, popular fiction, or nonfiction. A control group read nothing at all. They were then given tests that measured their "​social perception"​--i.e.,​ their ability to intuit things about people based on visual and verbal clues. Those who read literary fiction scored highest. Those who read nonfiction scored second-highest. Those who read popular fiction scored third-highest. And those who didn't read came in last. Two studies conducted by York University psychologist Raymond Mar, targeting both adults and children, came to the same conclusion.
 +
 +Reading also improves memory. More than a dozen studies have demonstrated that regular readers are better at recalling all sorts of details--not just in the material they read but in every area of their lives.
 +
 +And it improves analytical thinking--the ability to spot patterns in complex problems and conceive solutions.
 +
 +It doesn'​t surprise me that reading makes you smarter. What surprises me is that some people think reading is an anachronistic skill. "I watch lots of biographies on the History Channel,"​ one friend tells me. "I don't need to read books."​
 +
 +I'll grant my friend that there are plenty of good programs on TV these days. And there is no faster way to do quick research than by using Google. But watching TV or Googling does not activate the brain as fully and effectively as reading does.
 +
 +How Reading Can Make You Healthier
 +
 +Anything that makes you smarter is - as far as I'm concerned - something that any person interested in a rich and rewarding life should want to do. But reading offers health benefits too. 
 +
 +For one thing, reading is a very effective way to overcome stress. In a British study, participants engaged in an anxiety-provoking activity and then either read for a few minutes, listened to music, or played video games. The stress levels of those who read  dropped 67 percent - more than any of the other groups. And, in fact, research conducted at the University of Sussex showed that reading is better at reducing stress than listening to music, enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, and even taking a walk.
 +
 +A second health benefit you'll get from regular reading is a youthful brain. A study of 294 participants published in the journal Neurology found that those who engaged in mentally stimulating activities (such as reading) experienced slower memory decline. And according to research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, readers are less likely to have Alzheimer'​s disease.
 +
 +"The brain is an organ just like every other organ in the body. It ages in regard to how it is used," lead author Dr. Robert P. Friedland told USA Today. "Just as physical activity strengthens the heart, muscles, and bones, intellectual activity strengthens the brain  against disease."​
 +
 +Another study, reported in Prevention magazine, found that readers have a 32 percent slower rate of cognitive decline later in life.
 +
 +"​Brainy pursuits make the brain more efficient by changing its structure to continue functioning properly in spite of age-related neuropathologies,"​ Robert S. Wilson, Ph.D., professor of neuropsychology at Rush University Medical Center, told the magazine.
 +
 +How Reading Can Make You Kinder
 +
 +Smarter and healthier - surely those are sufficient reasons to become an avid reader. But in doing my research for this book, I discovered yet another benefit. According to several studies, reading can actually make you kinder.
 +
 +Researchers in the Netherlands,​ for example, found that people who were "​emotionally transported"​ by a work of fiction experienced a boost in empathy.
 +
 +Another study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that people who regularly read are much more likely to be engaged civically and culturally.
 +
 +And yet another study, published in Creativity Research Journal, showed that people who have just read a short story have less need for "​cognitive closure"​ than people who've just read a nonfiction essay. One hundred University of Toronto students read either one of eight short stories or one of eight essays. Then each student completed a survey measuring their emotional need for certainty and stability. Those who had read a short story had significantly lower scores than those who had read an essay. They expressed greater comfort with uncertainty and chaos - an attitude that allows for higher-level thinking and greater creativity.
 +
 +Making "​Rich"​ Choices
 +
 +Some novels - think Danielle Steele or John Grisham - are easy to read and loads of fun (if you like that sort of thing), but provide no lasting pleasures. You read them quickly, caught up in the plot or amused by certain well-drawn characters. But then you put the books down and forget about them. You've invested time into them and you've gotten a return on your investment, but the return was very modest.
 +
 +Compare that experience to reading Sophie'​s Choice or Lolita, books that are more "​difficult."​ Such books challenge you on every level. The authors'​ writing styles are more sophisticated. Their plots are less conventional. Their characters are multifaceted,​ like people tend to be in real life. And there are ideas presented throughout the story - ideas that often test your convictions and notions and beliefs.
 +
 +You will get some of the benefits of reading - especially stress reduction - no matter what kind of books you read. But if you want a life that is richer in terms of your emotional and intellectual experience, you have to be selective in your choices. As with music and art, that means choosing books that have complexity, subtlety, and emotional power. ​
 +
 +I don't have the space or time to recommend great books for every aspect of a rich life, so I will limit my suggestions to five categories: modern fiction, classical fiction, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry.
 +
 +My recommendations are in no way meant to be definitive. As award-winning author Lloyd Alexander said, "We don't need to have just one favorite. We keep adding favorites. Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favorites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose the old favorites. They'​re always with us. We just sort of accumulate them." ​
 +
 +My 10 Favorite Modern Novels
 +
 +
 +Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
 +The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
 +The Road by Cormac McCarthy
 +True Grit by Charles Portis
 +One Flew Over the Cuckoo'​s Nest by Ken Kesey
 +On the Road by Jack Kerouac
 +Sophie'​s Choice by William Styron
 +Naked Lunch by William Burroughs
 +To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
 + The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 +
 +My 10 Favorite Classics
 +
 +The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
 +Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
 +A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
 +The Tin Drum by Günter Grass
 +Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
 +Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
 +Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
 +Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
 +Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
 + ​Native Son by Richard Wright
 +
 +My 10 Favorite Short Story Collections
 +
 +Dubliners by James Joyce
 +A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
 +Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash
 +What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
 +The Complete Short Stories of O. Henry
 +Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway
 +The Complete Stories of Edgar Allan Poe
 +WillYou Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver
 +A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters by Julian Barnes
 + ​Pastoralia by George Saunders
 +
 +My 10 Favorite Nonfiction Books
 +
 +Ten Philosophical Mistakes by Mortimer J. Adler
 +Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
 +The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
 +The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe
 +Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
 +Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
 +A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
 +The Essays of Michel de Montaigne
 +In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
 + The American Language by H.L. Mencken
 +
 +My 10 Favorite Poetry Books
 +
 +Shakespeare'​s Sonnets
 +Selected Poems: Edna St. Vincent Millay
 +The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot
 +Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
 +Selected Poems of Ezra Pound
 +The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
 +Selected Poems by W. H. Auden
 +The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
 +Love Is a Dog From Hell by Charles Bukowski
 +The Collected Works of Robert Penn Warren
 +
 +WBC India'​s 10 Favourite Indian Works of English Literature
 +
 +The Imam and the Indian by Amitav Ghosh
 +The Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature edited by Amit Chaudhuri
 +A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
 +The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
 +Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
 +Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
 +India: A Million Mutinies Now by V. S. Naipaul
 +The Story Of My Experiments With The Truth by Mahatma Gandhi
 +Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore
 +Midnight'​s Children by Salman Rushdie
 +
 +No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. - Confucius ​
 +
 +Best, 
 +Mark
 +
 +====== The Living Rich eBook ======
 +
 +Anisa Virji
 +Dear WBC Members, ​
 +
 +As I have mentioned to you before, Mark has put together a series of his ideas on living rich and published it as a wonderful new book. 
 +
 +Living Rich eBook Now, you have already received several of these from us, and of course, the essays you received from us include specific ideas from within our Indian context. And you will always have access to those essays. ​
 +
 +But Mark's book is still a delight to read - and I thought you would like to have a copy. 
 +
 +To get to your copy of the eBook click on the link below. ​
 +
 +Living Rich: How to Live as Well as a Billionaire on a Middle-Class Budget. ​
 +
 +Inside:
 +
 +How to own a BMW at "​Hyundai prices"​ (page 43) 
 +
 +"I just took delivery of my 2006 BMW 760Li. It is long, low, quiet and beautiful. Like driving on a cloud-a very fast cloud. Thanks... I will enjoy this ride for a very long time. Here are a few images... I just took my first road trip to Montana and only got 1 ticket. That car went 140 miles per hour and felt like we were going 60!" ~Ben K. 
 +
 +
 +
 +5 essential questions to ask before hiring your next general contractor (page 25)
 +
 +The 4 Places a "​Thrifty"​ Millionaire Shops for Nice Clothes (page 83)
 +
 +The Cardinal Rules for Ordering Wine: Follow These 7 Guidelines at Any Restaurant, and You'll Never Be Left Wondering What to Say (page 77)
 +
 +Before you spend money on your next "home improvement"​ project, read about these 6 "​hacks"​ first-they could save you $10,000s (pages 23-24)
 +
 +What you should never, ever look at when you go to your next museum (page 151)
 +
 +3 $-Saving Websites You Should Check Out Before You Book Your Next Vacation-and They Aren't Orbitz, Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity,​ or Kayak (page 98)
 +
 +And much, much more!
 +
 +====== Living Rich #18: Maximum Health for a Full-Capacity Life ======
 +
 +Editor'​s Note: When we sent out a Retire Next Year essay on health, member Vinay G wrote in with two requests. As you know our Wealth Builders Club is a dynamic body, ever-changing,​ and in that way we can be quite responsive to your needs. So from his letter I identified two needs for us to write about.
 +
 +What to look out for in a health insurance policy while considering one.
 +An essay from Mark sharing his wisdom on how he maintains fitness at this age.
 +
 +We recently sent you this to address the first issue: Retire Next Year #12: What To Look Out For In A Health Insurance Policy? ​
 +
 +Today, we have for you an essay from Mark sharing his wisdom on how he maintains maximum health. And it has some great ideas that work beautifully in our context as well - I especially love how much faith he has in eastern healing systems. ​
 +
 +*********************************************************
 +
 +Mark Ford, Founder, Common Sense Publishing I've been told that I shouldn'​t write about health.
 +
 +I'm not a doctor. I'm not a nutritionist. I can't claim to be an expert on health in any way. But I do know something about accumulating wealth and living well - and what I know is directly related to health. ​
 +
 +Because without my good health, I couldn'​t have accomplished nearly as much as I have in my career. That includes the best-selling books I've written, the multimillion-dollar businesses I've developed, and all the money I've made.
 +
 +I work like a madman, enjoy a busy social life, drink wine, smoke cigars, and compete athletically (in Jiu Jitsu) with men half my age.
 +
 +I can do these things because I wake up each day bounding with energy - and I maintain that energy from 6 o'​clock in the morning till 10 or 11 o'​clock at night.
 +
 +"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."​ - Buddha
 +In the past 10 years, my energy level has increased. At an age when I should be slowing down, I'm speeding up. Six months ago, I took a battery of tests to determine my “biological fitness."​ In every category, I was much younger than my chronological age. In lung capacity - arguably the most important determinant of longevity - I was rated as a 26 - year-old.
 +
 +Other than a bout of malaria when I was living in Africa, I have never had a serious illness. I get the yearly cold and have my share of sports injuries, but I'm able to perform at 100% capacity 90% of the time.
 +
 +I attribute my health and fitness to three things:
 +
 +How I eat
 +How I exercise
 +How I heal myself.
 +
 +None of my “secrets"​ are difficult to do. All are based on good science. You can adopt one or all of them easily into your current routine.
 +
 +How I Eat
 +
 +I used to avoid red meat, eggs, butter, and ice cream. I used to eat grains with every meal - as the government told me I should. That seemed to work when I was young. But when I hit my 40s, my weight ballooned to 235 pounds.
 +
 +Then I began to work professionally with Dr. Atkins. I consulted with him on his publishing ventures and spent time at his clinic in New York City. I read his books and talked to him. What I discovered was that there was very little science behind the government'​s recommended diet.
 +
 +In fact, there were very few scientific studies done on nutrition.
 +
 +Dr. Atkins was a pioneer in studying the effects of a high-carbohydrate diet. His research suggested to him that the argument against cholesterol and saturated fats had no basis at all. Its advocates were groups funded by the wheat and margarine industries. He conducted clinical trials of his own and discovered that, in general, people who ate a high-protein,​ low-carbohydrate diet were leaner, healthier, and more energetic.
 +
 +Based on what I learned from Dr. Atkins, I made some changes in my diet. And I noticed an immediate improvement in my health. My appetite decreased. My post-lunch drowsiness disappeared. And muscles started popping up where I thought none existed.
 +
 +Years later, I began a working relationship with Dr. Al Sears. He took Dr. Atkins'​ work to a higher level. Dr. Sears told me that most of the meats I was eating were laden with hormones and omega-6 fatty acids.
 +
 +He had discovered that grass-fed beef actually has a better fatty-acid ratio than salmon!
 +
 +When I switched from supermarket meat to grass-fed meat, my lean body mass increased. I also followed Dr. Sears' recommendations to eat more organic vegetables, avoid fruit juices, and limit sugar-laden desserts. Again, I noticed an improvement in the way I felt right away.
 +
 +When Dr. Sears began reporting his findings 10 years ago, nobody else was talking about a “primal"​ diet. Today, it is recognized by many as the healthiest diet in the world. People are jumping on the bandwagon in droves. And that's a good thing.
 +
 +How I Exercise
 +
 +I used to lift weights and jog. My muscles were always sore, and I had a hard time getting stronger, however much I tried. But I'd had such good results with Dr. Sears' recommendations concerning my diet that I decided to give his PACE workout a try, too.
 +
 +And within a few weeks, I dropped 20 pounds of fat.
 +
 +When I started PACE, something quite remarkable happened. It felt like my lungs were ballooning in my chest. I could even see a difference in my chest when I looked in the mirror. I seemed to be able to take in twice as much oxygen, and I had more energy.
 +
 +Dr. Sears told me that lung capacity is the best indicator of “all-cause mortality."​ That's doctorspeak for all the ways you could possibly die. In other words, the bigger your lung capacity, the longer you'll live. And I don't doubt it. The extra oxygen I've been getting has given me not only more energy but an unshakable feeling of optimism.
 +
 +The PACE workout is truly revolutionary. It is based on the way our bodies were programmed to exercise over thousands of years. In that regard, it is compatible with the “primal"​ diet.
 +
 +Dr. Sears' studies have shown that PACE produces:
 +
 +Expanded lung volume
 +High-speed fat loss
 +Reserve capacity in the heart
 +A higher metabolic rate with increased insulin sensitivity
 +New muscle growth
 +Better sexual performance.
 +
 +And if you get the same results I've been getting, you will:
 +
 +Build strength and reserve capacity in your heart and lungs
 +Avoid heart attacks and cardiovascular disease
 +Develop a powerful and disease-resistant immune system
 +Dramatically increase your energy levels
 +Burn fat, even while you rest.
 +
 +How I Heal Myself
 +
 +Since I am active in Jiu Jitsu, a very physical sport, I am subject to athletic injuries on a regular basis. But I've reduced them drastically in the past two years by doing four things:
 +
 +15 minutes of yoga each morning
 +30 minutes of Pilates twice per week
 +An hour of massage once per week
 +Acupressure when I have an injury.
 +
 +Yoga is an amazing thing. It will make you limber and strong in ways you can't imagine unless you do it.
 +
 +I used to have trouble touching my fingers to my toes. Now I can put my palms on the floor and my nose to my knees. When you practice yoga for 15 minutes per day, like I do, you need to be sure to stretch your body in four directions. Forward, backward, and to each side.
 +
 +Pilates is in many ways the opposite of yoga. The breathing is different and so are the movements. While yoga teaches you to relax and breathe with your lower belly extended, Pilates teaches you to keep a tight core and breathe with your stomach sucked in.
 +
 +The combination of yoga and Pilates is a perfect yin-yang.
 +
 +I also get a deep-tissue massage once per week. It keeps my hips and shoulders loose (the two most important joints for athletic performance) and helps repair my tissues quickly when I am hurt.
 +
 +Most massage therapists are next to useless. They don't know anything about physiology. They simply rub you down. Find someone who understands how to go deep and break up scar tissue. Find someone who is willing to work hard on the areas of your body that need work. You will know immediately when you have found someone who is very good. You'll feel significantly better 24 hours after the massage.
 +
 +Acupressure has recently become a big part of my health routine.
 +
 +It is related to acupuncture,​ which you may be more familiar with. Both are ancient Chinese therapies for curing almost anything that ails you by liberating blocked “chi"​ at key points in the body. But where acupuncturists do it by inserting fine needles into the trigger points, acupressure practitioners do it by applying pressure with their fingertips.
 +
 +These therapies are 5,000 years old. That makes them more than twice as old as Western medicine.
 +
 +There is more than enough historical documentation to make acupuncture worthy of consideration. And, indeed, millions of Americans have tried it, and many of them have reported good results.
 +
 +But recently, studies at Western universities have confirmed that acupressure,​ too, works.
 +
 +In fact, the World Health Organization published a review of controlled trials using acupressure and concluded that it is effective for the treatment of 28 conditions. There was also evidence to suggest that it may be effective for several dozen more.
 +
 +I tried acupuncture several times and was impressed with the immediate results. But my schedule was too busy to do it regularly. So, I kept it in the back of my mind as therapy for when I have an acute injury.
 +
 +Then, a friend of mine introduced me to a woman who teaches people how to use acupressure to treat themselves.
 +
 +She explained that the pressure is applied to places on the skin that are especially sensitive to bioelectrical impulses in the body and conduct those impulses readily.
 +
 +Stimulating these pressure points triggers the release of endorphins, the petrochemicals that relieve pain. As a result, pain is blocked and the flow of blood and oxygen to the affected area is increased. This causes the muscles to relax and promotes healing.
 +
 +What I especially like about acupressure is that I can use it in my office or any public place, and nobody even notices that I'm doing it. (I often give myself an acupressure treatment four or five times per day.)
 +
 +So that's my three-part program. None of it is difficult or time consuming. My morning yoga routine takes 15 minutes, as does my afternoon PACE workout. I spend an hour per week doing Pilates, and just a few minutes every day with my acupressure treatments.
 +
 +I do Jiu Jitsu training for an hour per day, but that is my sport. It's a pleasure for me. It certainly helps me stay stronger than the average person, but it's not necessary for my health, so I don't recommend it to you unless you think you might enjoy it.
 +
 +If you are not in perfect health or lack the energy you need to keep your career on the right trajectory, I strongly recommend these practices. I am certain they will improve your life.
 +
 +There is no reason why you should work at less than full capacity, regardless of how old you are.
 +
 +But you won't know how true that is until you start one of the programs I just told you about. Then you'll see for yourself... and be motivated to gradually adopt them all.
 +
 +I wish you happiness, wealth, and wisdom.
 +
 +But you won't get your full share of what you deserve without maximum health. ​
 +
 +Best, 
 +Mark
 +
 +====== Living Rich #19: Thinking Like A Billionaire ======
 +
 +In this thoroughly entertaining book The Prime Movers, Edwin A. Locke gives this example of the way entrepreneurs think: ​
 +
 +An average person observes evergreens growing along the roadside and thinks that they look pretty, especially when partly covered with snow. At this point, his thinking stops. An entrepreneur observes the same trees and thinks, "These trees would look good in people’s living rooms at Christmas. I wonder what people would pay for them?" ​
 +
 +And he would continue to ask such questions as:
 +
 +
 +How hard is it to grow evergreens?
 +What investment is required?
 +How big should they be before being cut?
 +How difficult would it be to cut and transport them?
 +How much would it cost?
 +How long would they keep before losing their needles?
 +Where would they be sold?
 +What would the competition be like?
 +Could I make other, related products - e.g., wreaths?
 +Can I make money in such a seasonal business?
 +How much?
 +How can I get started?
 +
 +This kind of active, directed thinking is one of the things that separate entrepreneurs from the rest of humanity. In fact, the most successful entrepreneurs in history - all of them mega-billionaires by today'​s standards - seemed to have dynamic, pragmatic minds. ​
 +
 +Locke gives plenty of examples, including these: ​
 +
 +Thomas Edison: He was a "​virtual thinking machine. Almost until the day he died, his mind poured forth a torrent of ideas, and he might track as many as 60 experiments at a time in his laboratory." ​
 +
 +Steve Jobs: He bombarded people with his ideas - his investors, his board of directors, his customers, his subordinates,​ and his CEO John Scully. ​
 +
 +Henry Ford: "He threw himself into every detail, insisting on getting small things absolutely right.... But he never lost sight of the ultimate, overall objection. He had a vision of what his new car (the Model T) should look like. From all the improvisation,​ hard thought, and hard work came a machine that was at once the simplest and the most sophisticated automobile built to date anywhere in the world." ​
 +
 +You may be thinking, "Hey, I'm no Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs or Henry Ford." Well, neither am I. And I could rattle off a dozen multi-millionaire entrepreneurs I know who don't have that kind of brain capacity either. ​
 +
 +Raw intelligence is not the issue. If it were, Einstein would have been wealthy. What matters in the world of commerce is how you think. ​
 +
 +Some people, whether because of their upbringing or their DNA, have a natural billionaire mind. But just about anyone who is smart and ambitious can learn to think like a billionaire. ​
 +
 +You can transform your mind completely and permanently in a matter of a few short months by making small changes, one at a time. It will take some effort, though. As Joshua Reynolds once said, "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." ​
 +
 +Begin by vowing to talk to every successful person you know or meet. Tell them how much you admire what they have accomplished and ask them how they do what they do. 
 +
 +You may be amazed at how open they will be to such inquiries. Nine times out of 10, they'​ll be eager to tell you just about everything they know. 
 +
 +Unfortunately,​ many of the twentieth century'​s greatest entrepreneurs have been disparaged by historians and the media. As Locke points out in The Prime Movers, if you mention the names Andrew Carnegie or John Rockefeller or Cornelius Vanderbilt to most people, they think "​greedy robber barons who took advantage of their circumstances."​ They know nothing about their accomplishments. What they know, for the most part, is based on persistent myths that prevent them from learning from these men and prospering. ​
 +
 +Locke says: 
 +
 +"It is often claimed that the Prime Movers have been viewed with suspicion at best and with distaste or repugnance at worst.... The most basic motive [of those who envy them] is... hatred of the good for being good... it is hatred of the Prime Movers because they are intelligent,​ successful, and competent, because they are better at what they do than others are. 
 +
 +"The ultimate goal of the haters of the good is not to bring others up to the level of the most able (which is impossible) but to bring down the able to the level of the less able - to obliterate their achievement,​ to destroy their reward, to make them unable to function above the level of mediocrity, to punish them, and, above all, to make them feel unearned guilt for their own virtues." ​
 +
 +When you become super-successful,​ you'll have to learn how to handle the people who are going to resent you for achieving what they themselves have been unable to do. But first, you have to get yourself into that enviable position. And you do that by practicing the thinking of the great entrepreneurs who thought like billionaires and so amassed billions. ​
 +
 +I'll be writing more on this subject in the future. But for right now, here are eight characteristics of the billionaire mind that you can emulate:
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person is concerned with protecting his ego. When dealing with a problem he doesn'​t really understand, he pretends he understands the contributing factors and doesn'​t try to find out what anyone else thinks. A person with a billionaire mind asks questions incessantly. He has no ego when it comes to learning. He knows that knowledge is power. ​
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person has a consumer mentality. He looks at a hot new product and thinks about how he would like to own one. A person with a billionaire mind has an entrepreneurial mentality. He looks at it and thinks, "How can I produce this or something similar in my own industry?" ​
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person is wish-focused. He daydreams about making gobs of money. A person with a billionaire mind is reality-based. He is always analyzing his own success and the success of others and wondering how he could learn from it. 
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person, when confronted with a challenging idea, thinks of all the reasons why it might not work. A person with a billionaire mind sees the potential in it and disregards the problems until he has a clear vision of how it might succeed. ​
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person resists change. A person with a billionaire mind embraces it. 
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person accepts the status quo. A person with a billionaire mind is always looking to make things - even good things - better. ​
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person reacts. A person with a billionaire mind is proactive. ​
 +
 +A "​normal"​ person looks at a successful business owner and thinks, "That guy's lucky."​ Or "That guy's a shyster."​ A person with a billionaire mind thinks, "​What'​s his secret?"​ And, "How can I do that?"
 +
 +Start by being humble and asking questions. Do this until it becomes a habit. Then take on another characteristic of the billionaire mind - like looking at a successful new product and thinking, "How can I do something like that?" ​
 +
 +Go through the list, mastering one characteristic at a time, and within three months you will be able to create new businesses almost automatically. You will become a natural leader. Money will flow to you like water coming down a hill. And then you'll be ready to deal with all the "​normal"​ people who are jealous of your incredible success.
 +
 +====== Living Rich #20: Richness from Gardening======
 +
 +Of the many childhood memories I cherish, one is watering my garden during summer evenings.
 +
 +I spent summer vacations in the countryside with my family. Our house there has a huge garden - the '​compound'​ as we call it - full of trees and plants. There are mango trees, guava trees, eucalyptus peepal, pomegranate,​ coconut, papaya, lemon, ashoka, Indian blueberries (jamun), gulmohar, etc.
 +
 +Then there are roses, lilies, jasmine, saunf, basil, and my favourite - touch me not!
 +
 +Gardening is one of my father'​s few hobbies. He takes care of most of our yard. He never forgets to water the plants in the evening.
 +
 +It was he who introduced me to gardening. But as I grew up, I realised gardening isn't just another hobby for older people. The benefits are many for anyone wanting to live a good life...
 +
 +Therapeutic effects of gardening
 +As long as I can remember, my father has been close to nature. He loves greenery and mountains. His library is full of books on gardening, horticulture,​ etc. He is a calm, patient man who never loses cool. But whenever he gets a little tense, a walk in our yard eases his stress.
 +
 +It would relax anyone. There'​s no greater bliss than starting your day with a walk amid greenery. It exhilarates and energises you for the day.
 +
 +It is a scientific fact that the green is a boon for your eyes. It not only absorbs UV rays but also reduces glare. It is healing and restful for the eyes. Green, the colour of nature, has the power to eliminate fatigue and anxiety.
 +
 +And don't forget the air - fresh and rich in oxygen - that always surrounds you! Be a gardener and breathe fresh. Your lungs will thank you.
 +
 +Gardening and patience go hand-in-hand. When you sow the seeds, they take time to germinate... You have to put them in soil, water them and keep them moist almost all the time. Seeds need light and oxygen while germinating.
 +
 +You could mix soil and compost in a pot, put seeds in it, and keep it in an airy place where it gets sufficient light. Different seeds need different temperatures to grow... For instance, broccoli seeds need more heat than spinach. You could learn about germination temperatures here.
 +
 +Over time, the seeds will grow and your efforts will be rewarded.
 +
 +Yes, gardening teaches us to be patient... Things will happen when the time has come! And our efforts, if channelled in the right direction, will never go in vain.
 +
 +Gardening for medicinal benefits
 +First of all, gardening provides great physical exercise. It will help you burn calories every day. But you can also grow medicinal plants for treating ailments. Many medicinal plants are actually quite easy to nurture.
 +
 +When I moved to Mumbai three years ago, I lived in a shared flat. My flatmate was a guy in his mid-twenties. He suffered from kidney stones and had tried several treatments. One evening, he came home with a small plant. A doctor of Ayurveda had given it to him. It was pattharchatta,​ a medicinal plant used to treat kidney stones.
 +
 +He had potted it, and the little plant grew by the day. All it needed was water and sunlight. He placed it in the window, and consumed one leaf every day.
 +
 +Two months later, when he got his tests done, no stones were found.
 +
 +Indian Ayurveda is vast and offers effective remedies for most diseases, without any side effects. Plants like aloe vera, ginger, garlic, peppermint, lavender, thyme, and chamomile offer manifold health benefits and are convenient to grow.
 +
 +Richness from Gardening
 +Source: Pixabay.com
 +
 +Fresh foods for your kitchen
 +I don't remember paying for jamun in my life...ever! Half of our yard at home is sheltered by huge jamun trees that produce thousands of berries in the late summer. Not just berries, we rely on our family'​s garden for pomegranates,​ lemons, papayas... even coconuts!
 +
 +When I am munching on home-grown fruits and veggies, I am munching on organic stuff...free from harmful fertilisers and other chemicals.
 +
 +Planning a kitchen garden is one of the best ways to take up gardening. It will keep you active and you will enthusiastically grow more varieties. Leafy veggies like spinach, cabbage, and coriander are healthiest when grown at home.  And you tend to consume more of it because they are just a pluck away. Gardening improves your food habits and well-being.
 +
 +Another benefit of a kitchen garden is savings. In today'​s era, when you pay multiples for '​organic'​ stuff, a kitchen garden is a great way to save...and it assures that the food you are eating is entirely organic.
 +
 +It really is EASY
 +If every terrace of Mumbai has a garden, we could have a large forest cover on our city.
 +
 +- Naheed
 +
 +Naheed owns property in one of the busiest areas of Mumbai - Muhammad Ali Road. As I make my way through the narrow streets, I encounter several gaudy shops and hurrying people. Bustling with energy in the heart of South Mumbai, Mohd Ali Road is an area of old buildings...some of which date back over a hundred years. Naheed'​s building is an old one too. And one would never guess that it'​s ​ home to a full-fledged organic garden on the terrace.
 +
 +'​People come for a walk in the morning. People come to read books here... Or sometimes for fresh air,' she says.
 +
 +Her garden has more than 50 varieties of plants - flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices...you name it!
 +
 +'It takes not more than a few hours in maintenance. I also have a full-time job. If I can make time and do it, anyone can!' she says.
 +
 +You could give the surplus from your garden to family, friends, neighbours, or the needy. You can even start an extra income stream by selling produce from your little urban farm.
 +
 +Gardening aspirants often worry about lack of space...especially in metro cities. In such cases, you could put the terrace space to use...
 +
 +In smaller towns, carparks, verandahs, etc could provide the space you need. All you really need is a couple of pots, soil and compost, some tools, and seeds...here is a great resource for gardening beginners.
 +
 +A garden would be a small investment...with priceless returns. Are you growing your way to green wealth?
 +
 +====== Living Rich #21: The Best Exercise Routine Ever ======
 +
 +I strictly believed that one should eliminate (or at least drastically reduce) jogging and weightlifting from his exercise routine. I explained that for years I was a die-hard runner and weightlifter,​ but I found it put an unnatural strain on my joints and tendons. By the time I was 40, I had all the symptoms of this kind of bodily abuse: chronic back pain, sore knees, '​trick'​ shoulders, etc. I pushed through my pain, hoping that doing more of what had been bad for me might heal me. It didn'​t.
 +
 +By the time I turned 52, three years ago, my shoulders were so bad that I couldn'​t do a single push-up or hang from a bar, and my hips were so locked up that I couldn'​t walk more than five minutes without having to sit down to reduce my lower-back pain.
 +
 +That was the old me. The new me has no back pain, no knee pain, no shoulder pain... No pain of any sort. I wrestle with guys 30 years younger than me every day. And I can do 14 pull-ups and 60 push-ups, strict.Today,​ I want to tell you how I fixed myself and got myself into the best shape of my life. The program I adhere to now is the result of stuff I learned from Al Sears, John Mahoney, and Matt Furey. It's a program that should work for you too - especially if you are over 30.
 +
 +I believe that the secret to maximum fitness, flexibility,​ and practical strength is to follow a program of intense, short-duration sprinting, stretching, and calisthenics. One that I recommend strongly is Dr. Al Sears' PACE program.
 +
 +Or, if you want to, you can try to keep up with me. My workout program (which I developed with my personal trainer, John Mahoney) takes 45 minutes, including stretching.
 +
 +Perhaps the most important characteristic of a good exercise program is that it should feel like fun. If it feels like work (or, worse, torture), you are not going to look forward to it. And if you don't look forward to your exercise routine, you will eventually stop doing it.
 +
 +Everybody is different in terms of what makes exercise fun. For me, it has to do with time and intensity.
 +
 +Because of how busy I am, I don't like to spend more than 45 minutes exercising. That 45 minutes includes about 10 to 15 minutes of stretching, which means the exercise portion of my workout has to be completed in 30 minutes. Thirty minutes a day is plenty of time to develop strength, speed, and muscular endurance. (You can probably do it in even less time. Dr. Sears tells me he thinks it's possible to reduce that part of your program to 10 or 15 minutes a day.)
 +
 +To make my routine even easier and more fun, I break the 30 minutes into three 10-minute segments. To me, 10 minutes seems like a short span. Even if the exercise I'm doing is very intense, I don't feel overwhelmed because I know it will soon be over.
 +
 +To be clear: My exercise routine consists of three 10-minute sets of somewhat intense exercise with two-minute rest periods in between, followed by a 10- to 15-minute stretch.
 +
 +An Enjoyable, Intense, and Pain-Free Routine
 +This program is based on three proven principles and several very effective techniques. The principles are the following:
 +
 +Short-duration,​ high-intensity exercise is generally more effective than long-duration,​ low-intensity exercise.
 +Natural strength exercises (using your body weight) are generally better than unnatural exercises (using weights, pulley systems, etc.).
 +Interval training is better than static training.
 +Here's a crash course in my weekly workout program...
 +
 +Every Morning: Warm Up
 +Ten minutes of stretching or yoga. Be sure to stretch in every direction - forward, back, and to both sides.
 +
 +MONDAY AND THURSDAY: UPPER-BODY AND SPRINTING
 +Ten minutes alternating between chin-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and sit-ups. Start with 2 chin-ups, 4 push-ups, 2 pull-ups, 4 dips, and 4 sit-ups. Immediately go to 4 chin-ups, 8 push-ups, 4 pull-ups, 8 dips, and 8 sit-ups. Immediately go to 6 chin-ups, 12 push-ups, 6 pull-ups, 12 dips, and 12 sit-ups. Then go to 8 chin-ups, 16 push-ups, 8 pull-ups, 16 dips, and 16 sit-ups. Take a two-minute break (just 120 seconds) and then reverse the pyramid, starting with a set of 8s and 16s and working back down to 2s.
 +
 +This entire upper-body workout will take about 20 minutes and will leave you totally pumped. Take another two-minute break and then do 10 minutes of interval running. Alternate between sprinting and jogging for 10 sets. When your running is done, do 10 minutes of intense stretching. Once again, make sure you stretch in every direction.
 +
 +TUESDAY AND FRIDAY: LOWER BODY AND CLIMBING
 +My trainer calls my lower-body routine the '12 days of Christmas.'​ This is a sequential program, done without weights.
 +
 +Here, you do a series of leg exercises (squat thrusts, lunges, calf raises, etc.), starting with a single-set repetition and going up to 12. What I mean by that is you do one repetition of your first exercise, then do two of your next exercise, then three of the next, until you've reached 12 repetitions of your final exercise.
 +
 +As in the Christmas song, with each new set you also do all the other sets. For example, after the twelfth set of, say, squat thrusts, you would do 11 of something else (maybe lunges), then 10 of something else, then nine of something else (maybe star jumpers), etc. - all the way down to the single rep of your first exercise.
 +
 +Doing the 12 days of Christmas means a total of 78 exercises. The trick is to do them all in 22 minutes. Again, I work intensely for two minutes take a two-minute break, and go at it again for another 10 minutes.You won't be able to do this at first, but you'll make great improvements fast.
 +
 +WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY: MEDIUM-INTENSITY WORKOUT
 +These are the only days when I exercise for longer than 45 minutes. On Wednesday and Saturday, I do one or two medium-intensity workouts. I vary them to keep my interest level up. Some days, I do Pilates...some days, yoga...and others, aerobic dancing.
 +
 +Then, there'​s Sunday...
 +
 +For my Sunday '​workout,'​ I walk to the song, Luna Rosa, and eat breakfast with Peter, walk back to my house and smoke a cigar while doing the Times crossword, then walk across the street to the beach and wade in the ocean. And I try not to eat too much ...
 +
 +If you try a routine like mine, it will blow you away. In four to six weeks, you will be much stronger than you are now, you'll have much better wind, you will be leaner and more muscular and - if you stretch intensely - you'll be more limber too.
 +
 +====== Living Rich #22: The Advantage of the Business '​Uniform'​ ======
 +
 +Ralph Lauren makes beautiful clothes. Over the last five decades, his company has grown from making a small line of neckties to a multibillion-dollar international name with nearly 500 brick-and-mortar stores.
 +
 +Yet he dresses simply.
 +
 +His usual attire is a pair of jeans and a collared shirt. I've seen dozens of photos of him over the years. He's always looked good - even well dressed, albeit in a casual way. Even when he's wearing a coat and tie, he'll often be wearing jeans, too.
 +
 +Yet if I had to describe his personal clothing style, I'd call it a uniform.
 +
 +Not a uniform in a strict, militaristic sense. But a distinct and recognizable style that doesn'​t really differ from day to day.
 +
 +I have two colleagues who dress that way. Their uniforms are even stricter than Lauren'​s.
 +
 +One, a writer, wears jeans and a white T-shirt every day. The other, a publisher, wears jeans and a white main-tailored shirt, also every day, which I see as a nod toward formality.
 +
 +I do sometimes tease them ('Wow! Great look today. You are so creative!'​),​ but the fact is they both look good - always.
 +
 +Like most people, I have a larger working wardrobe comprised of dozens of different pants, shirts, and suits that give me hundreds of options every morning. Sometimes I get it right-I feel well dressed and people say so. Sometimes I get it terribly wrong. If I'm lucky, my wife K spots me before I leave for work. Most of the time, it's '​fine'​ - as in, 'You look fine,' said only upon prompting.
 +
 +But the only time I feel better dressed than my colleagues in uniform is the 10% of the time when I nail it.
 +
 +When you have lots of choices, dressing each morning takes time - even if you are an organization nut like me and have all your clothing sorted. On a typical morning, I spend 10 to 15 minutes getting dressed. That's about as much time as it took me to write this little essay.
 +
 +Yesterday, I spent nearly 15 minutes getting dressed and came up with an outfit that I decided to jettison at the breakfast table. Back I went again, and 10 minutes later got the deflating '​fine'​ rating.
 +
 +So I'm thinking about doing the uniform thing - and even thinking about it is getting me sort of excited. Not only will I save myself 10 to 15 valuable minutes every morning, I will also reduce a bit of stress and eliminate the fear of having a bad clothing day.
 +
 +I'm serious. After a lifetime of trying to look good but different every day, I'm looking forward to picking a uniform.
 +
 +When you think about it, the traditional suit and tie was the executive uniform for more than 50 years. It's only since that look has been abandoned that we've been caught in the time-wasting trap of 'new day, different outfit'​ thinking.
 +
 +By the way, wearing a uniform to work doesn'​t mean you have to wear it on the weekends or even on special business occasions. I recently saw the uniformed publisher I mentioned above at a corporate cocktail party. She was wearing a red dress and looked great. In fact, the contrast between her uniform and the dress made the look even stronger.
 +
 +Besides the uniform, it's possible to dress well and feel very good about your clothes without spending a lot of money. All you have to do is follow the two simple rules from my book, Living Rich, that will improve your wardrobe and save you a fortune:
 +
 +Buy quality, classic clothing and wear it for years. (You can even buy secondhand if you like.)
 +Buy cheap, trendy clothing to replenish your wardrobe every two or three years.
 +And, of course, never buy anything - no matter whose name is on the label or how cheap it is - if it doesn'​t make you look and feel good when you put it on.
 +
 +====== Living Rich #23: How to Cure Workaholism and be More Creative ======
 +
 +"If I had more time, I'd have more fun," we tell ourselves. Or, "If I had more time, I'd knit/​paint/​write a novel/[fill in the blank]."​
 +
 +Time is an equal opportunity provider. Every one of us, regardless of age, sex, race, or religion, has the same 24 hours per day. How we use those hours determines our success.
 +
 +On one hand, we know that working long, hard hours is a characteristic of most successful people. On the other hand, we understand that working that way gives us little pleasure and less time to devote to family, friendship, intellectual stimulation,​ etc.
 +
 +"​Workaholism is an addiction,"​ Julia Cameron says in The Artist'​s Way, "and like all addictions, it blocks creative energy."​
 +
 +Cameron'​s concern in the book is to find time for creative writing. But her advice is useful for anyone who is fighting his or her workaholic streak.
 +
 +You can be successful in business without sacrificing personal relationships. You can make money and create art, too.
 +
 +You can accomplish your major goals in all of life's four most important dimensions:
 +
 +Your health-building goals
 +
 +Your wealth-building goals
 +
 +Your social responsibilities
 +
 +Your personal aspirations.
 +
 +To do so, you've got to choose a productivity plan that recognizes the following:
 +
 +Achieving any important goal takes time.
 +
 +At any specific period of time in your life, you must establish priorities and give primary attention to your top goals.
 +
 +Many of the problems prioritizing may cause can be limited by respectful scheduling and thoughtful communication.
 +
 +As opportunities change, so must your objectives.
 +
 +You must also recognize that the way you work right now may be working against you.
 +
 +A workaholic pattern might help you accomplish your primary goal, but it will usually leave your other goals in a shattered heap.
 +
 +Begin, today, with this self-administered evaluation from Julia Cameron to help you figure out if you have workaholic habits.
 +
 +Answer "​seldom,"​ "​often,"​ or "​never"​ to the following:
 +
 +I work outside of office hours.
 +I cancel dates with loved ones to do more work.
 +I postpone outings until the deadline is over.
 +I take work with me on vacations.
 +I take work with me on weekends.
 +I take vacations.
 +My intimates complain that I always work.
 +I try to do two things at once.
 +I allow myself free time between projects.
 +I allow myself to achieve closure on tasks.
 +I procrastinate in finishing up the last loose ends.
 +I set out to do one job, and start on three more at the same time.
 +I work in the evenings during family time.
 +I allow calls to interrupt-and lengthen-my workday.
 +I prioritize my day to include an hour of creative work/play.
 +I place my creative dreams before my work.
 +I fall in with others'​ plans and fill my free time with their agendas.
 +I allow myself downtime to do nothing.
 +I use the word "​deadline"​ to describe and rationalize my workload.
 +I go everywhere, even to dinner, with a notebook or my work numbers.
 +"There is a difference between zestful work toward a cherished goal and workaholism,"​ says Cameron.
 +
 +"That difference lies less in the hours than it does in the emotional quality of the hours spent. There is a treadmill quality to workaholism. We depend on our addiction, and we resent it. For a workaholic, work is synonymous with worth, and so we are hesitant to jettison any part of it."
 +
 +Your answers to Julia Cameron'​s self-evaluation questions will give you a quick sense of whether you have a problem with workaholism.
 +
 +But don't just test yourself.
 +
 +Do what I did. Ask a few members of your family, or a few friends, to answer those questions for you.
 +
 +You may be surprised by what you find out.
 +
 +It can be hard to make time for your personal life when you're trying to prove to your boss that you deserve a raise... when you're busy building your business... or when you just plain love what you do.
 +
 +But don't work so hard or so long that you neglect your family and friends. If you do that, you will eventually regret it.
 +
 +Here's how I keep myself from falling into that trap:
 +
 +I don't take work home at night. I put in my time at the office, and then I come home... without my laptop and papers.
 +
 +I don't take work home on weekends. If I want to put in a few extra hours on Saturday, I clear it with my family in advance. But, again, I don't pull out the computer or papers in front of them. It sends the wrong message.
 +
 +Away from work, I try my best to stay "in the present."​ For me, this was the hardest lesson to learn because my mind is always jumping from one topic (the story someone is telling me) to another (something related that happened at work). When I feel myself drifting - and it happens frequently - I pull myself back.
 +
 +When I follow these rules, I am happier twice - at work and at home. I recommend that you do the same.
 +
  
  
livingrich.1529404086.txt.gz · Last modified: 2018/06/19 15:58 by 122.164.155.174