HAPPY INVESTMENT

CHOOSE THE NEXT STEP Just because you’ve been disappointed once, or twice, or a hundred times, is no reason to give up. On the contrary, it is a reason to give more to the effort. Just because you’ve been criticized is no reason to think that the whole world is against you. Actually, it is a valuable opportunity to improve. Life can throw a lot of discouraging things your way. What’s really beautiful, though, is that you don’t have to be discouraged. You have a choice, no matter what has happened, no matter where you’ve been or where you are. You can choose the next step, and you can choose to make it a positive one. You can choose to make the next step the most effective, loving, meaningful thing you’ve ever done. Nothing outside you has the power to stop you from making this your best moment yet. Throw off the disappointment, breeze cheerfully past the naysayers, and exercise your power to choose. The next step is yours to choose, and you can

STEP BEYOND THE LIMITATIONS Don’t take refuge in seeing yourself as a victim. Take pride in getting yourself to do good and valuable things. Everybody has problems and limitations and extenuating circumstances. Yet progress is always possible no matter what. Sure, there is unfairness and there is injustice in the world. Work to right those wrongs but don’t fall into the trap of using them as excuses. When you choose to move forward, there are all kinds of things that could go wrong. But that is no reason to hide from life or to remain stuck where you are. You don’t have to be defined by your disappointments, injuries or limitations. Choose instead to define yourself by your highest visions, your dreams, goals and ambitions. You are a unique, creative bundle of positive possibilities, so live your life that way. There is so very much good you can do, so let go of the excuses, step beyond the limitations, and make more of the goodness happen toda

 ENOUGH TO GET STARTED Whether you have a lot to work with or you don’t have very much, there’s one thing you do have. You have enough to get started, so go ahead and take the first step. Whether you know everything there is to know or you know almost nothing, you certainly know enough to get started. Once you’re in motion, you will surely learn a whole lot more. Whatever must be done will not be done by waiting for the perfect conditions. The fact is, you can take the first step, and the step after that, no matter what the conditions may be. The resources, relationships, ideas, knowledge and expertise you seek are all connected to you in some way. To activate the connection you must activate yourself, and get to work. Get to work, and suddenly you find ways to transform what you need into what you have. Get to work, and with every effort new pathways open up to you. Achievement is calling, and there’s no good reason to wait another moment. You

Pada suatu hari, tiga orang bijaksana berjalan melintasi sebuah desa kecil. Desa itu tampak miskin. Tampak dari sawah-sawah sekitarnya yang sudah tidak menghasilkan apa-apa lagi. Ya, memang telah terjadi perang di negeri itu - dan sebagai rakyat jelata - merekalah yang kena dampaknya. Macetnya distribusi pupuk, bibit, dan kesulitan-kesulitan lain membuat sawah mereka tidak mampu menghasilkan apa-apa lagi. Cuma beberapa puluh orang yang masih setia tinggal di desa itu. Sekonyong-konyong beberapa orang mengerubuti tiga orang bijaksana itu. Dengan memijit-mijit tangan dan punggung tiga orang itu, orang-orang desa memelas dan meminta sedekah, roti, beras, atau apalah yang bisa dimakan. Satu dari tiga orang bijaksana itu lalu bertanya kepada penduduk desa itu, “Apakah kalian tidak punya apa-apa, hingga kalian meminta-minta seperti ini ?” “Kami tidak memiliki apapun untuk dimakan, hanya batu-batu berserakan itu yang kita miliki.” Jaw