How Do I Find Inspiration When I Need It?

From nature:

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

What is a two-stanza poem that expresses your care and gratitude for the environment?

This is more than a 2 stanza poem, but it expresses my care and gratitude for the environment. I hope readers will share it on Earth Day. I Need The Breeze I need the breeze Even though it makes me sneeze Achoo Achoo Achoo 〰 I need the sun Even though I sometimes feel like a toast well done Crackle Crackle Crackle 〰 I need the trees Even if I have to walk on wet leaves Scrunch Scrunch Scrunch 〰 I need the air Even though it buzzes with insects that dare Buzz Buzz Buzz 〰 I need the night Even though the darkness is a fright Ttu-whit tu-whoo Tu-whit tu-whoo! Boo 〰 I need the showers Even though my shoes get squishy, and I am splashed on by cars Squish Squish Squish. Splash Splash Splash 〰 I need the sky Even though the thunder and lightning make me want to run and hide Boom Crash. Boom Crash. Boom Crash 〰 I need the dirt roads Even if I have to say hello to lizards and leeches and toads Creep Creep. Crawl Crawl. Croak Croak 〰 I need the hills Even though they sometimes make me huff and puff till I am ill Huff and Puff. Huff and Puff. Huff and Puff 〰 I need the sand Even though it’s hard to walk on it, and sometimes even to stand Pludunk Pludunk Pludunk. Pant Pant Pant 〰 I need the ocean Even though the waves make such a commotion Crash Bang. Crash Bang. Crash Bang 〰 I need the earth and all its creatures Even though some of them have scary features Slither Slither Slither. Snarl Snarl. Hiss. Roar 〰 Yes, I need all of it And if any of those things were not there My life wouldn't be the same So I’d have to get on a rocket and find another planet somewhere 〰 Where I could find the very same things! 〰 So I make a heart with my fingers To love it all through and through But oh no, there’s that breeze again Achoo Achoo Achoo!

From coming across something online (such as Sheldon Cooper quotes on IMDB):

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

Would you be able to have Sheldon Cooper as a friend or roommate?

Let me ask myself some questions and answer that… Q: Could I have some private time away from him? A: Ummm…. Sheldon: I'm sorry I'm late, but your companion left the most indecipherable invitation. Leonard: What invitation? Sheldon: Were going to the movies. What movie? What theater? What time? If you were trying to make it impossible to locate you, you couldn't have done a better job. Leonard: Oh clearly, I could have. Q: Could I get a break from him for a few hours? A: Ummm….. Penny: Why don't you see a movie or something? Sheldon: Alone? Penny: Yeah, why not? Sheldon: What if I choke on my popcorn, who will administer the Heimlich maneuver? Penny: Well, then don't order popcorn. Sheldon: No popcorn at the movies? Listen to yourself. Q: Could I make him lighten up a bit in his preferences? A: Ummm…. Sheldon: That's where I sit. Penny: What's the difference? Sheldon: What's the difference? In the winter that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer, it's directly in the path of a cross-breeze created by opening windows there and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide as to create a parallax distortion. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Q: Could I bear to overhear him talking to someone on the phone? A: Ummm…. Sheldon: [on the phone] This is Doctor Sheldon Cooper. Yeah, I need to cancel my membership to the Planetarium... Well I'm sorry too, but there's just no room for you in my wallet... Yeah, I understand, but it was between you and the Museum of Natural History, and frankly, you don't have dinosaurs... Well I'll miss you too. Bye bye. Q: Could I count on him to be discreet? A: Ummm…. Sheldon Cooper: Priya, if you're experiencing any tension or awkwardness, it may stem from the fact that Leonard and Penny used to, if I may quote Howard, "do the dance with no pants."

From a book:

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

What are the best/innovative ways to introduce yourself to anybody?

Triple Hatter After reading Richard Nelson Bolles’ What Color is Your Parachute?, I found myself doing some soul searching. I thought about my past, my present and my future - all the colors and threads which were the patchwork of my life. And then I wrote a one page “dare to share” piece about myself, I titled Triple Hatter. I created it as something I would leave behind at an interview. I would hand it over to the interviewer at the end of the interview and say “This will tell you things about me that may not have been caught or covered in the interview”. If I was interviewed by 3 people in turn, I would hand out a copy to each of the interviewers as they left the room. I am sharing Triple Hatter with you. I hope it will motivate you to read What Color is Your Parachute? (when you get a chance) but more importantly, to learn to accept who you are in your entirety (past, present and future)... ... and then to “dare to share” everything you are with the world. Read Triple Hatter. Then go write your own Triple Hatter. And start sharing it with the world…. Triple Hatter One Gal. 3 Hats. I am a Commissions Analyst who writes advertising copy and a blog. I am a Copywriter who does Commissions Administrations and Implementations. I am a Commissions Admin who does Xactly Implementations You could call me a Triple Hatter. One Gal. 3 Hats. Solution Partners Inc, Los Gatos This is where I picked up my Implementations Hat. I said goodbye to fear and a regular paycheck when I signed up to be a contract Business Architect with Solution Partners and do Xactly Incent Implementations for different companies. 2 years and 4 projects later (including two 3-month stints at Salesforce Inc) – I am still entranced with the nuts and bolts of the Xactly Incent Commissions Machine. And now I can’t wait to see what it’s like to work both sides of the equation – the administration side and the implementation side. Which company will provide me with the opportunity to put both these skills to work? It’s exciting to speculate and wonder. Extreme Networks, Santa Clara This is where the Commissions Admin Experience I had gained at Palm was put to the test. And my ideas about my skills and traits. Excel whiz. Good at picking up new software. Accurate. Deadline Oriented. Dependable. I was there 5 years and had a fantastic relationship with my boss. Need I say more? Palm Inc This is where I got my training wheels as a Commissions Admin. No sooner did my boss sign me on to assist with commissions, when she went out on Maternity Leave. And never returned. So I was Palm’s one-woman commissions team from that point on. Of course, this meant I needed to take off my training wheels ASAP. Staying up nights with multiple Excel books, I did. It paid off. Minoo Jha Life Strategies My writing hat. It’s my oldest hat. Writing comes naturally. As flying to a bird. For a while, it looked like I had a broken wing. But when in December of 2010, I started blogging, I knew I was back in the groove. I write the Minoo Jha Life Strategies blog. Posting regularly to it, inviting guest posts and promoting it via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Triple Hatter. That’s me.

From having some stuff and wondering what to do with it:

Minoo Jha

 · 6y

What are some unique ways to prepare avocado?

Hi, You asked, What are some unique ways to prepare avocado? Avocado Pani Puri. Instead of putting potato in the puris (puchkas), put avocado. Just substitute potato with avocado. I discovered this recipe by accident and wrote a post about the discovery. Reprinting an adapted version below: My Avocado Pani Puri Story: I meditate on asteya. Asteya is one of the yamas (ethical precepts) of yoga. It means taking from the world only what you need -- without greed, excess or wastage. I am far from where I want to be when it comes to asteya, but I get a little better every day. One day I spotted a can of beets and a can of pineapples in my kitchen cupboard. The cans had been sitting there forever. I had picked them up and never gotten around to using them. They were a glaring example of not living by the principles of asteya. But now I looked at the cans and decided “Enough is enough. I need to use these cans and not let them lie around gathering dust anymore.” Of course, there was the challenge of what to do with them. I thought if I opened the two cans and mixed the ingredients together - they might pair well. But the pairing needed something to make it work and taste good. That made me think about fruta picada – the Mexican street vendor snack they sell at the Beryessa Flea Market. It is a mix of chopped fruit dusted with lime and chile. “Fruit chaat, that’s it,” I thought, “All I need to do is add some chaat masala to the beets and the pineapple.” It worked. This got me thinking about the avocados I had in the fridge. “I wonder how they would taste with chaat masala,” I thought. I gave it a whirl. This was a successful experiment too. Encouraged, I wondered what avocado pani puri might taste like. I typed avocado pani puri into the Google search box. Several recipes came up. Avocado pani-puri turned out to be a great spin on pani-puri which is traditionally made with boiled potato and garbanzo beans. Thanks to constraining myself to use up all the canned food I had at home, I experienced one culinary breakthrough after another. My avocado pani puri was a family hit and I was asked to make it at family events for at least a year or two. Here is the recipe: Avocado Pani Puri (Serves 3-4) * 1 Avocado * 1 Lemon * 30 Puris (Crisp, hollow, spherical crackers) * ¼ Cup fresh mung bean/dal sprouts * Salt and chilli powder, chaat masala to taste * ¼ Cup sweet tamarind chutney * Pani or spiced water (recipe follows) 1. Slit the avocado into 2 halves and remove the seeds. Scoop out the flesh using a sharp-edged spoon and cut it into chunks. Transfer the chunks to a bowl and squeeze some lemon juice all over the chunks. Sprinkle with salt, chilli powder and chaat masala to taste. 2. When you are ready to serve, crack the tops of the puris and make a hole just enough to fill them. In each puri add an avocado chunk, some mung sprouts and a dollop of sweet chutney as the filling. Pass the Pani (spiced water) in wide-mouthed cups, one for each person. Dip the filled puris in the Pani and stuff the entire puri in your mouth.

From turning to my imagination to deal with an ego blow:

Minoo Jha

 · 6y

How has thinking big improved your life?

Thinking creatively has improved my life more than thinking big. I have used creativity to solve problems, find the best use for things, and to reframe situations. Here’s one example where my imagination helped me, when my brain child was cast aside on an assignment. The entire post, if you want to read it, is called The Element of Imagination and Its Hope for Helping Us Develop Toughness With Compassion and Artful Flair, and is available on my Minoo Jha Life Strategies blog. Here is the excerpt regarding my brain child being cast aside, and how I used my imagination to shake myself out of my negative thoughts and feelings, and to be a bigger person. Using our imagination to reframe a situation… Any situation can be reframed with the help of our imagination. On one assignment, I pulled out all the stops to design new commission statements, and develop a new Excel model to do commissions. However, when I was passing control of my job to the commissions analyst who was to take my place, he and the new company controller decided to abandon my model and create their own model. It was a blow to my self-esteem, and hard to stomach. We want it to be hard for anyone to fill our shoes. We want our absence to cause pain. We want our brain children to be cherished. So my initial thoughts and feelings were all negative. But then, I started meditating, and it helped me transcend these negative thoughts. 3 Deer at a Stream I suddenly had this vision of self-esteem being a stream of water, and the new analyst, new controller, and myself all as deer drinking from the stream. I had had my turn at the stream. Now it was theirs. When I had to prove myself, the stream of self-esteem was there for me. Now it was someone else’s time to shine. Later on, it would be someone else’s time, still. From the moment this image entered my mind – my mindset was different. It was hard to say if I held this image - of the 3 deer drinking from a stream - or the image held me. But during my last weeks at the company, I cheerfully finished up my assignment, and continuously encouraged, praised and supported the new analyst and the Controller. Now years later, I feel a warm glow towards them. Tuli Kupferberg says: “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge. When I was able to escape the normal way of thinking it was almost that I saw all the characters in the scenario in a different alternate world” This is what happened to me. I entered an alternate world. And my imagination helped me get there. I now realize situations can exist in many different spheres, and our imagination can take us to a different sphere. So if you find yourself needing to be a bigger person, try to use your imagination to reframe the situation, and to elevate your thoughts and feelings to a different sphere. It worked for me. No reason why you shouldn’t give it a try. It could work for you.

From other people’s writing:

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

What do you think of shy people?

I was an extremely shy child and young adult. I have written about this shyness in a few different pieces. Here’s one written in the style of Semplica Girl Diaries by George Saunders - Odd Girl Gets Break Once upon a time when teenager. Odd Girl. Liked to read books but did not like to go to school or college. Liked words, but did not speak much. (Very Shy). Liked to read (words), study (words), play (word) games, write (words). Could not speak words that good. When out on a date, only danced. Wordlessly. Like wind-up ornament on Musical Box. Couldn’t even say “Too bad you didn’t get The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party” for a date.” That tongue-tied. Odd Girl odd in other ways. Wore shades day and night. Like Michael Jackson. Only not a celebrity. One day Odd Girl wrote some words. Odd Girl sent these words to THE newspaper. That time, newpaper was THE newspaper, not a newspaper. Editor said ha-ha and published. Encouraged, Odd Girl wrote again. Editor said ha-ha. Published Odd Girl’s words again. Odd Girl’s writing spotted by Mela, friend of sister of Odd Girl. Copywriting job available at company said Mela. Interview. Job offer. Odd Girl became Odd Copywriter. Happily ever after.

From thinking about the blessings in my life:

Minoo Jha

 · 2y

What genuinely makes you the happiest every time you think about it?

My friends. I even wrote this poem about it: I Am The Richest Person In America I am the richest person in America Richer than Bill Gates Richer than Elon Musk or Mark Cuban It's okay if you are going, wait, what, wait. __ Richer than Warren Buffett Let me be even geo bolder Richer than that Zara fellow and the owners of Ikea Richer than the Vatican for all I know. __ Richer than all the richest kings in history And richer than the richest queens too Richer than the richest celebrities Yes Oprah and Sean Combs - it's true. __ Richer than the richest sports women and men Michael Jordan or Conor McGregor Richer than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Richer than Roger Federer. __ Why am I the richest person in America, dear reader I'll tell you now my poem is coming to an end I am richer than everyone in America, and in the world, Because I am rich in friends! __ And so I say thank you to you, past, present, and future friends. And thank you to family or relatives, who have become friends I am the richest person in the world, and in history Because the rich tapestry of your friendships has enriched my life from end to end. __ Gracias, Shukriya Deu borem korum, Danke sehr Tak, Dziękuję, Khop Khun Mak Kha Nanri, Salamat Shukran, Dhanyavaadhamulu Arigato, doh jeh Merci becoup!

And sometimes, some rare times, through marvelous coincidences:

Minoo Jha

 · 6y

What is your most interesting meditation experience?

Hi, You asked, What is your most interesting meditation experience? After I stared meditating, I have had a few telepathic experiences. One of them was waking up in the middle of the night with a story about 3 Benches. I do not normally write fiction pieces on my blog, so it was very unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night with the idea of this 3 Benches Story. The next day I called my friend in Klamath and I asked her, “Hey Nadya, whatcha been up to?” like I usually do. I got goosebumps when she said, “Oh, I am building a bench for my backyard.” I felt the only explanation for the mysterious appearance of the 3 Benches idea in my mind was because of a telepathic experience with Nadya. By now I must have aroused your curiosity about what this 3 Benches story is all about. It took another 6 years for me to actually get down to being able to write it and publish it on my blog. Here it is. I hope you enjoy reading it. Everyone Has Their Purpose Everyone has their purpose. I just hadn’t discovered mine. We were 3 benches in a park. Bench 1 clearly knew its purpose. It was to enjoy the rich conversations and the books of the people who sat on Bench 1. Bench 1 was into mind-expanding things. Bench 1 was always going on and on about philosophy and epistemology and such, things which, if they didn’t entirely go over my head, only somewhat interested me. I am curious and I have a love for words. These two personality traits made me listen to whatever Bench 1 said. Bench 2 was clearly status-seeking, a name-dropper. Bench 2 lived for the stylish, well-heeled, and well-known people that sat on Bench 2. Bench 2 would tell you that Bench 2 occupants that day included people who wore Manolo Blahnik Hangisi shoes, or toted the most expensive Louis Vuitton bags, or drove up in a Tesla Model X P100 D. As for me, neither status, nor mind expanding ideas, excited me, or held the key to my soul. I registered everything Bench 1 and Bench 2 said. I was curious enough for that. Bench 1 and Bench 2 knew they had a perfect listener in me. So they shared everything and anything that excited them, or troubled them, with me. And I would listen. But truthfully, I was interested in an "interesting what other benches find interesting" way. I knew, there had to be something more. One day, an older woman sat on my bench and said the rosary. As she sat there, moving from bead to bead, and repeating the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, I caught a glimpse of what my purpose was. Another day, two young men sat on my bench. One of the young men had the book Awakening Loving-Kindness by Pema Chodron in his hands. He explained to the other young man what meditating on loving-kindness meant. I caught a glimpse of my purpose again. Another day, I watched a man put a mat on the grass, put his hands up, then put his right hand over his left hand, then bend down and put his hands on his knees, then stand back up and bend down, placing his knees, hands and head on the floor, all the while reciting prayers. I caught a glimpse of my purpose again. One day, two Hindu studies major students sat on my bench. One of them read this passage from the Bhagavad Gita out aloud to the other: “The man who sees me in everything and everything within me will not be lost to me, nor will I ever be lost to him. He who is rooted in oneness realizes that I am in every being; wherever he goes, he remains in me. When he sees all being as equal in suffering or in joy because they are like himself, that man has grown perfect in yoga.” I caught a glimpse of my purpose again. Another day, two Jesuit priests chose me for their bench. They spoke of wondrous things, such as St. Augustine hearing a childlike voice telling him to “take up and read”. For days after, I kept thinking about that. And then one day, it happened. A man with a backpack and a stick entered the area where our 3 benches were located. He looked weary and he looked tired and he looked disheveled and he looked unkempt. I knew he was the kind of man Bench 1 and Bench 2 would be least interested in, even revolted by. He looked at all 3 of us benches, and then made his way to where I was, even though I was the furthest bench. He put his backpack down on one end of the bench. Then, using the backpack as a pillow for his head, he sprawled across the length of the bench, covered his face with a dirty shirt, and fell into a deep sleep, from which he awoke, hours later, after which he picked up his things and left. He came back the next day and did the same thing; and he came back the day after and did the same thing again. At the end of day 3, after he had woken up and left, Bench 1 said to me: “Tough luck 3, to have a homeless guy single you out and make a habit of it.” I didn’t say anything. Bench 2 added, “Better accept it, 3. You might be stuck with him at least till the weather changes!” I didn’t say anything. If only Bench 1 and Bench 2 knew…..at last, I had found my purpose. The End Note to Readers: The original idea for this story came to me in the form of a miraculous coincidence - which happened in October of 2012, almost 6 years ago. Though I had the idea for this story 6 years ago, I wasn’t able to put it into words. So it just lingered with me, all these years, until a few days ago. Here's how it happened. On the morning of April 27, 2018, while riding the bus to work and reading a book, suddenly these words came to my mind, “Everyone has their purpose”. My mind, next inexplicably, jumped to my unwritten 3 benches story. The next thing I knew, I was writing furiously. This story, that had been waiting to be told for 6 years, got told.

What is the biggest financial mistake I have ever made, how did I overcome it, and what did I most learn from it?

The biggest?

Not starting my personal finance journey earlier.

How did I overcome it?

By making up for lost time.

What did I learn from it?

Better to start early. Compound interest, and compounding returns, is a big deal.

Once my personal finance journey began, common investing sins, such as fear, greed, sloth, ignorance would occasionally lead me astray.

But I bounced back.

One of the reasons I bounced back, was because I did not bet the bank on the investment (that is, I did not put all my money into the losing venture).

A losing venture can be anything from funding a business, to buying a car, to buying a house, to a stock or bond, if you don’t know how to manage the finances/ obligations associated with each of those purchases/investments.

Including the potential for loss.

You must always be prepared for loss.

In fact, you should invest only what you are prepared to lose.

In comparison to what people have lost on houses, cars, businesses, my investment loss story is a joke.

Even though it was not funny in the moment…

Minoo Jha

 · 6y

What are some stories about failure that can teach us some valuable life lessons?

Hi, You asked, What failure was actually a great life lesson? Losing money by investing in Krispy Kreme Donuts. Here’s the story from my blog: How I Lost A Thousand Dollars On Donuts There comes a time in every novice investor's life when he or she thinks they've found the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is an investment theory or investment method that seems devilishly clever and original to the novice investor. One which gets them as excited as an archaeologist unearthing the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen. And which they just can't wait to hang their hat on. This investment 'find' could be any of a number of ideas. From the Dogs of the Dow Theory authored by Michael O'Higgins. To the Elliott Wave Theory popularized by Robert Prechter. From Joel Blatt's Magic Formula. To the Price to Sales Ratio which made Ken Fisher's 1984 book Super Stocks a best-seller. The novice investor will suddenly come upon one of these ideas and allow it to agitate the gray cells for a while. Then there's Warren Buffett. For the novice investor, discovering Warren Buffett is something else altogether. After all, he is one of the richest men in America. And he is also recognized as one of the greatest investors of all time. So no surprise that investors, novice and professional alike, become instant Warren Buffett groupies - hanging on to his every word, worshiping at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual General Meeting in Omaha, and dreaming of being a future Buffett. This is where my sorry tale begins. The Buffett Make-over I was just as susceptible to the Buffett investing charisma as anyone else. And after finding Buffett, I set out to remake myself in his image. This meant reading books such as The New Buffettology. And The Warren Buffett Way. And then getting down to business by applying essential Buffett principles. Bottom-fishing was particularly appealing. It allowed me to consider dog-house stocks such as Revlon, Rite Aid and Six Flags, which were all under $2 a share, maybe even under $1. But not content with that, I searched for what I thought would be the quintessential Buffett pick - an out-of-favor and under-valued stock, the one that Mr. Market was idiotically shunning. Enter Krispy Kreme Donuts. I have never been much of a donuts fan. But at the time, I discovered Krispy Kreme, I had become a heat-seeking Buffett missile in search of a target. And Krispy Kreme Donuts (Ticker KKD) appeared to be the answer to my prayers. Firstly, their cream and jelly filled donuts had become the new "delish" in donuts. People were shunning their corner donut stores and trekking to Krispy Kreme stores instead. Just Like Starbucks In fact, they were even willing to stand in long lines to get their Krispy Kreme donuts. Much as they do for Starbucks Frappuchinos and Lattes today. And just like Starbucks, Krispy Kreme donuts were pricey. All this had a distinctly Buffetesque aroma to me. Reading Motley Fool articles like this one sealed the deal for me. So when Krispy Kreme stock, which had stratospherically climbed to $40 a share, dropped overnight by 50% to $20 a share on a car-wreck of a quarter, I decided to lock in. And bought 100 shares. There - I had bottom-fished. Just like my hero Warren Buffett. I couldn't have been more pleased with myself. Or so I thought. Fasten Your Seat-Belts I was to find out (the painful way) that Krispy Kreme's 50% decline was just the beginning of its Drop-Zone like descent. By the same time the next year, the stock had declined to $10 a share. Giving my investment a 50% haircut. $1,000 gone. Just like that. Chastened and humbled, I took the loss and got out. The Flight of The Bumblebee I read somewhere that according to the Laws of Aerodynamics, a bumblebee should not be able to fly. The bumblebee of course does not know this, so it flies anyway. In much the same way, novice stock-pickers do not know that they don't know how to pick stocks. So they pick stocks anyway. Sometimes the picks pan out, sometimes they fall with a thud. When that happens, some investors will never be able to psychologically recover from their mistakes and losses. Others, phoenix-like, will rise from the ashes. I am of the second kind. I was able to take my medicine and move on. Are there rewards for naivety in investing? Actually I was able to make lemonade out of this investing lemon. I took my Krispy Kreme misadventure and turned it into a speech. Which I used to compete in a Toastmasters International Speech contest at Adlibmasters Club in San Jose. I won first place. And took home a trophy. Yes the mysterious Oscar looking thing you see above is my Toastmasters International Speech trophy. Now if only there had been some bling to go with that thing. You know - Like maybe a 1000 dollars? Oh Well... If You Are Ever Stuck With a Lemon, See If You Can Make Some Lemonade Out of It :) May You Invest Well in 2019 and Thrive!

With all the hits and misses in my personal finance journey, I was able to become financially secure over time.

And I want you to be financially secure too.

So here’s some personal finance advice, which can help you achieve that…

Minoo Jha

 · 6y

How can I become financially savvy?

Hi, You asked, How do I become financially smart? Here are my tips. It's a long list, not exhaustive, and some of it is cliched (but true). It is very useful advice for young adults to follow and I plan to pass it on to my daughter. Please pass it on to others as well as early as possible (which is soon after they start earning an income) 1. Learn everything there is to learn about income tax. Money management starts there 2. Start contributing to tax sheltered accounts (IRAs) as soon as you start earning an income 3. Maximize retirement contributions - IRAs, 401K, when you have a steady, regular job 4. If you get 1099 income for one or two years, open a SEP IRA or Solo 401K and maximize your contribution during those years 5. Have an emergency cushion (to support you for a year) in case you lose your job or (if you are a freelancer like me), to carry you during the gaps between assignments. I call this FMG Money - Finance Your Goof-offs Money. 6. Spend as little as possible on depreciating assets such as cars. 7. Spend less than you earn 8. Pay your credit card in full every month 9. Avoid bank fees by maintaining your minimum balance, not over-drawing, not having bounced checks, using only your bank’s atms, unless your bank refunds the atm fee when you use another bank's atm 10. Have money in both a checking account and a savings account. 11. Negotiate whenever you buy big-ticket items 12. Negotiate your pay and your raises 13. Read books about investments and money management; if you don't like reading, listen to podcasts, watch videos or go to financial seminars 14. Familiarize yourself with the law regarding loans and debt, because there are different laws for different kinds of loans and debt 15. Build up good credit as early as possible, so you can benefit from the best lending rates when you need to borrow money from a bank or lending institution, whether to buy a car, a house, or a household appliance, or even to get the best credit card offers 16. Familiarize yourself with what makes up your FICO score, get your free FICO score every year from Credit Karma or another credit score company, and study it 17. Make sure you know all the different options, premiums, coverage and exceptions and limits, when you buy insurance, whether health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, home insurance - including the impact of making a claim 18. Understand the full impacts and the penalties (if applicable) of withdrawing money from a tax-sheltered account 19.The time to take risks is when you are young, because you have time to recover from your losses. However they should be calculated risks as far as possible 20. Diversity your investments, not just across different industries and geographic regions, but between different assets - real estate, stocks, bonds. 21. Keep investing costs low by buying low cost index funds such as those offered by Vanguard 22. Invest in life strategy funds (offered by all mutual fund companies such as Vanguard), because they will automatically adjust your allocation between different assets based on your age 23. Use the tools offered by mutual funds companies and brokers to assess your risk tolerance and invest according to your goal horizon Stock-specific advice: 1. Diversify across different companies and different industries and different geographies. Buy a basket of stocks, or invest in a mutual fund tied to a broad index like the S&P500. Vanguard has several 2. Don't day trade (if you do want to become a trader, educate yourself - check out Brett Steenbarger 3. Don't try to time the market. Time in market is more important than timing the market 4. Don't panic in times of market crashes. Sit on your hands 5. Don't buy IPOs unless you get the stock at the IPO price 6. Do some DRIP investing, so you buy less when the price rises and more when the price drops. Check out Computershare, M1 Finance to see how you can do this 7. Invest in Life Strategy funds offered by Vanguard, or other mutual fund companies. They will adjust your investments between stocks and bonds according to your age, goal horizons, and risk preferences 8. Don't buy any stocks based on a tip. If you do buy, devote just a small amount of money to it 9. Invest in stocks in your taxable accounts and invest in bonds and cds in your tax-sheltered accounts 10. If you are burned by an investment, don't make it scare you away from investments for life. Learn from the mistake and move on 11. There should never be a point in time when you are completely out of the market. You may miss the big up days 12. Understand stock splits, including reverse splits - why they are done and what is the impact. See Revlon as an example 13. Know that there is a difference between a stock that has a high price, but may still be cheap - Google at $798 per share and a stock that has a low price, but may be expensive - Xerox at $7.13 a share 14. Include in your portfolio some dividend paying companies and reinvest the dividends - you can select this option in the manage your accounts section of the broker's website 15. Always keep some money out of the market, so you stay liquid and also have money for a good opportunity 16. Stay optimistic when the market crashes. Sometimes you may have to stay optimistic for several years. Stocks recovered from the 2007 crash only in 2014. 17. Fear, greed, sloth and ignorance are the 4 enemies of financial wisdom. Conquer these and you will do great

And here’s some more personal finance advice, the value of which cannot be overstated…

Minoo Jha

 · 6y

What are the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle?

Here’s how I did it. I internalized Suze Orman. I started meditating. (The book “How God Changes Your Brain” gave me both my motivation and my technique). I stopped being a nervous Nellie about my future, accepting that the future was hamarey bas ki baat nahi (Hindi for “beyond my control/capacity/competence”). I channeled stories such as the Farid ud-Din Attar story about King Mahmud and the Beans. I started tracking my expenses. I found that knowing my average monthly expenditure was within a certain range made me oodles less anxious. I searched for and read books on downshifting like Your Money or Your Life. I found out how simply some folks were living (friends and relatives in India) and how happy and content they were. It helped me develop perspective. I realized that things are not always what they seem. That people who looked better off than me with expensive cars, nice houses, the latest gadgets and who went on fabulous holidays might actually be reeling in debt and have negative net worth. I also observed how many people who are better off than me fret more than me. This is because though they are rich in externals (the visible signs of a successful life), they are poor in internals (their internal life is messy). Peace and contentment can’t be bought. It is a gift you give yourself. You can be at peace even living in a crowded noisy apartment complex, whereas you can be in a state of turmoil even in the quietest most luxurious and secluded waterfront mansion. I know this sounds like a “sour grapes” rationalization, but I really do fret less than many people who are materially far better off than me. I discovered “Asteya” and made it one of my goals. Asteya is the discipline of taking from the world only what you need – without greed, excess, or wastage. I realized that producing something (expression) was more satisfying than owning anything (consumption). I observed that more stuff made me less happy rather than more happy – giving me more house cleaning, maintenance and security to worry about. And finally, I observed what made me happy. They were not things, but experiences. A good conversation. A good read. A walk or talk with a friend. A simple hearty meal. A guest post (hint,hint). A satisfying workout at the gym. Giving and receiving appreciation. Learning something new. My meditations. A fear or weakness conquered. An intellectual puzzle solved. A physical challenge met. And realizing this, I was able to cheerfully and contentedly declare “I’m good!”

May you live well in 2026, and thrive.