金钱和快乐

大家好：
我们活着的快乐从那里来？我们追求的怎样的快乐？你想过吗？这篇文章也许可以为你带来一些启示和引导。

总管家/财盛CS
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Are You Living Like a Prostitute?‏

你是否像妓女一样活着？



Some of you may already know that I travel around the region prettyfrequently, having to visit and conduct seminars at my offices in Malaysia,Indonesia, Thailand and Su Zhou (China). I am in the airport almost everyother week so I get to bump into many people who have attended my seminarsor have read my books.



Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked.He asked, 'How come a millionaire like you is travelling economy?' My replywas, 'That's why I am a millionaire.' He still looked pretty confused. Thisagain confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wroteabout in my latest book 'Secrets of Self Made Millionaires'). Many peoplehave been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, HugoBoss, Rolex etc… (I shop at G2000 by the way) and sit on first class in airtravel. This is why so many people never become rich because the momentthat earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spendmore, putting them back to square one.


The truth is that most self-made millionaires (not those lucky bast**ds whoinherited money) are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and ofvalue. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth somuch faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my incomewhile today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2maids, 2 kids, etc… to support). Still, it is way above most people whosave 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first classticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete wasteof money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter toJulia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.


When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur's Organization) a few years back(YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1ma year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-madethought like me. Many of them with net worths well over $5m, travelledecomony class and some even drove Toyota's and Nissans. I noticed that itwas only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (therewere also a few ministers' and tycoons' sons in the club) who spent likethere was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everythingfrom scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reasonwhy a family's wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the thirdgeneration. Thank god my rich dad (oh no…I sound like Kiyosaki) foresawthis terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start mybusiness.


Then some people ask me, 'What is the point in making so much money if youdon't enjoy it?' The thing is that I don't really find happiness in buyingbranded clothes, jewelry or sitting first class. Even if buying somethingmakes me happy it is only for a while…it does not last. material happinessnever lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousyagain and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. Ialways think that if you need material things to make you happy, then youlive a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.


Instead, what make ME happy is when I see my children laughing and playingand learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see by companies andtrainers reaching more and more people every year in so many morecountries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails abouthow my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone's life. Whatmakes me really happy is reading all your wonderful posts about how thisBLOG is inspiring you.This happiness makes me feel really good for a longtime, much much more than what a Rolex would do for me.


I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come fromdoing your life's work (be it teaching, building homes, designing, trading,winning tournaments etc…) and the money that comes is only a by-product. Ifyou hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make youhappy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life no betterthan a prostitute.




by Singapore's Youngest Millionaire, Adam Khoo




自译：



你们可能知道我一直奔走在这个区域，时常到马来西亚，印尼，泰国和苏州（中国）的公司拜访和举办讲座。 几乎每一两个星期我就身在机场，所以会常常碰到许多出席过我的讲座或读过我的书的人。


最近，在飞往吉隆坡的机上有个看来颇惊讶的人问我，“你已经是百万富翁了，为何还搭经济舱？”
我的回复是，“这就是为什么我是百万富翁。” 他听了还是显得相当困惑。这证实了一个关于富裕的最大谎言。许多人都以为百万富翁都一定要穿GUCCI，HUGO BOSS，ROLEX等等。。。（我就在G2000购物过），还有旅游就搭头等舱。这就是为什么许多人都无法致富，因为当他们一开始赚较多钱时，他们就自然的觉得应该花更多钱了，这将使他们又打回原形。


事实上，多数的白手起家的百万富翁（不是那些继承家产的幸运家伙）都很节俭，只把钱花在必要和有价值的事物，这就是为什么他们可以更快的聚增他们的财富。过去的七年，我储蓄了80%的收入，现在只是60%（因为我有了太太，岳母，两个女佣，两个孩子等等。。。的费用要应付）依然，这比那些只储蓄收入的10%（如果他们好运）来得高。我拒绝搭头等舱或买300元的衣服，这是因为我觉得那只是完全浪费金钱。但是，我切会毫无犹豫的付1300元来让我两岁的女儿参加JULIA GABRIEL的演说和戏剧班。

当我在几年前加入年轻企业家公会（这是一个只供年薪超过一百万及40岁以下的人参加的高级俱乐部）时，我发现许多白手起家的会员的想法都和我一样。他们的身家超过5百万，他们也一样搭经济舱，有些甚至只驾驶丰田或日产的汽车。我发现只有那些不需要苦干来致富的人（俱乐部里也有一些部长或大亨的孩子）会尽量挥霍。这是因为当你没从零开始苦干是，你就不会真正明白金钱的价值。这就说明了为何家产（无论多少）都过不了第三代。谢天谢地我的富爸爸（我的天！我的口气就像KIYOSAKI!)预见这种可能而拒绝给我分毫来让我立业。

有人就问我，“若你不享受花钱，那么你赚这么多钱干什么？”问题是当我在买名牌服装，金饰或搭头等舱时，我找不到快乐。就算是买了一些可让我快乐的东西，它也是很短暂而已，不会持久。物质上的快乐不会恒久，它只带来暂时的快感。很快的你就觉得糟透了，接着就想买其他东西来让自己快乐。如果你觉得只有物质上的追求能带来快乐，那么你过着的是一个蛮悲哀和毫无满足感的生活。

相反的，让我感到快乐的是看着孩子如何玩乐，欢笑和快速学习。让我快乐的是看着公司和训练员如何在更多国家传授给更多人。让我快乐的是当我读着那些电邮，告诉我的著作和讲座如何感动及启发某一些人。让我快乐的是读着你们的留言，告诉我这个部落格如何启发你们。这种快乐真正的维持很久，远超过ROLEX錶所能带来的快乐。

我觉得我想传达的是快乐应该来自你的职业（就算是教书，建筑，设计，贸易，比赛胜利。。。）而金钱只是副产品。若你讨厌你的工作而只依赖用你从中赚来的钱来购物获取快乐，那么我想你的生活不会比一个妓女来的更好。

～寄自CHC