The mind is a powerful thing! It has been said that "whether you think you can or you think you cannot you'll be right!"
I cannot control the weather. As much as I try, I have absolutely no control over whether or not it will rain. I cannot control my football team. If i could affect the performances, the Dragons would be playing the Grand Final this weekend. I cannot even control my children.
The only thing I have complete control over is my own thinking and the way I respond to the challenges life throws me.
My oldest brother Shane knows more than most people that life isn't always easy. Nearly 12 months ago Shane broke his neck and has been left as an incomplete quadraplegic. Shane cannot undo what has happened to him. However Shane can control his thinking and how he will live his life in response to what has happened!
Shane is back working as a bible college lecturer. This summer he is planning on getting back on a surfboard and has also looked into sailing! What an inspiration he is.
Whenever I go to visit Shane, I come away feeling better than when I arrived.
Why?
Because Shane has made the decision to make the most out of life and see what he can accomplish. This is not to say that Shane's life is all roses, far from it! However Shane is making the most of his situation using his mind power.
When I think about this it causes me to look at myself. How do I respond to the challenges that come my way? Do I think positive or negatively about my life? Do I believe I am a successful person?
Brian Kahlefeldt in his book '90 minutes to success' says that "success in most things in life is the result of mental attitude rather than Mental Capacity"
I will continue to focus on having the right mental attitude as the only sure thing I can control in my life!
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Definately worth the Drive
For the last few months my brother Troy and I have been planning a dive trip to QLD. We kept ourselves flexible as to what weekend we would go, in order to get the best weather conditions. Our plan was a fairly simple one.
Drive north, find warm water, spear tasty fish, and have life experiences to remember.
Last weekend our patience paid off. We jumped in the car and Drove 17 hours to Hervey Bay. We then jumped in a mates Troopi and Drove a further 4 hours to 1770 before putting the boat in the water and sleeping on deck. A few hours sleep and we were cruising across an ocean that resembled a mirror and diving in blue clear water with plenty of tasty fish to be had.
Over 3 days we experienced fish, dolphins, whales with calves, crayfish, sharks, sea snakes, coral, turtles, awesome sunsets and sunrises, and fresh fish each night.
I have had people ask if the 3 days diving was worth the effort of 40hours driving? The answer is of course YES.
Sometimes you need to put in big effort to gain large rewards. If you never get in the car and take the drive, then you will not experience what life has to offer.
A definiation of insanity that I love is 'to do the same old thing and expect different results.
If you are finding yourself in a rut, sit down and put down some bucket list ideas on a piece of paper. Then plan out how you will achieve what you want to do and make it happen. Sometimes it will take a large amount of effort, but the memories can last a lifetime.
Drive north, find warm water, spear tasty fish, and have life experiences to remember.
Last weekend our patience paid off. We jumped in the car and Drove 17 hours to Hervey Bay. We then jumped in a mates Troopi and Drove a further 4 hours to 1770 before putting the boat in the water and sleeping on deck. A few hours sleep and we were cruising across an ocean that resembled a mirror and diving in blue clear water with plenty of tasty fish to be had.
Over 3 days we experienced fish, dolphins, whales with calves, crayfish, sharks, sea snakes, coral, turtles, awesome sunsets and sunrises, and fresh fish each night.
I have had people ask if the 3 days diving was worth the effort of 40hours driving? The answer is of course YES.
Sometimes you need to put in big effort to gain large rewards. If you never get in the car and take the drive, then you will not experience what life has to offer.
A definiation of insanity that I love is 'to do the same old thing and expect different results.
If you are finding yourself in a rut, sit down and put down some bucket list ideas on a piece of paper. Then plan out how you will achieve what you want to do and make it happen. Sometimes it will take a large amount of effort, but the memories can last a lifetime.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Buying Australian
I have recently been talking to retail clients about how hard they are finding business over the last year or 2 and especially over the last few months. The most obvious cause of this is the uncertainty in global economies and lack of consumer confidence. We also have the cloud of the new carbon tax with no one really certain how this will affect our costs of living. What we hear and read tells us that things are going to get worse before they get better and this rightly causes consumers to consider their spending habits and cut out non essential shopping items.
However I am concerned that another issue is with the rising Australian $ and the rising popularity of internet shopping. I do not enjoy shopping at the best of times, therefore the convenience of jumping online and grabbing items cheap may be convenient and seem like a good idea, but what impact is this having on our country? If I buy online, I should at least be looking to buy from Australian companies online even if I can get goods cheaper overseas!
The longer term impact of this shift in buying patterns is that consumers could change their habits, and turn away from shop front shopping in favour of doing most of their shopping online. Of course the trade off is that when you buy from a shop direct, you are not only paying for a product, but are buying the service and after sales service that goes with the product.
Free international trade may seem like a good idea on the surface, however when it has the affect of sending our consumers overseas with the lure of the high Australian dollar, then I for one am not a fan.
But what can we do about it?
1) Personally make a committment to buy from Australian business even if the costs are slightly higher!
2) Encourage your family and friends to support Australian businesses!
3) If you have a business in Australia, you need to understand the changing environment and ensure you have a web presense!
I for one plan on taking an active role by buying local!
Kurt
However I am concerned that another issue is with the rising Australian $ and the rising popularity of internet shopping. I do not enjoy shopping at the best of times, therefore the convenience of jumping online and grabbing items cheap may be convenient and seem like a good idea, but what impact is this having on our country? If I buy online, I should at least be looking to buy from Australian companies online even if I can get goods cheaper overseas!
The longer term impact of this shift in buying patterns is that consumers could change their habits, and turn away from shop front shopping in favour of doing most of their shopping online. Of course the trade off is that when you buy from a shop direct, you are not only paying for a product, but are buying the service and after sales service that goes with the product.
Free international trade may seem like a good idea on the surface, however when it has the affect of sending our consumers overseas with the lure of the high Australian dollar, then I for one am not a fan.
But what can we do about it?
1) Personally make a committment to buy from Australian business even if the costs are slightly higher!
2) Encourage your family and friends to support Australian businesses!
3) If you have a business in Australia, you need to understand the changing environment and ensure you have a web presense!
I for one plan on taking an active role by buying local!
Kurt
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Is Superannuation a bad investment?
Ever since the Global Financial Crises (and before that for some people) I have had clients tell me that they do not like investing in super because it is a very risky investment. It is very easy to have this opinion of super funds given many have been forced to put back retirement plans by a few years to top up their super after the hefty losses of the past couple of years.
Some people prefer to invest in the property market. Some feel safer with having money sitting in the bank for a guaranteed interest rate return. Some like the higher potential returns given with investing in the share market, despite the risks involved!
However, Superannuation is not a risky investment!
Super is an investment vehicle, or a structure that you can invest within. This means that your superannuation money can be invested directly into the share market. It can be put towared purchasing investment properties, or your super money can be put into fixed interest bank accounts. It can also be spread through all these different investment options.
So why have so many people lost money within their super funds?
Most people set up their investment choices within the super fund and never look at it again. The super fund may be highly weighted towards owning shares and therefore with the crashes in the stock market that we have seen most superfunds have been negatively affected.
Why should you invest in super?
Investing within superannuation gives you access to highly beneficial tax rates! the maximum tax rate within your super fund is 15% compared with 46.5% for the individual tax rate. There are also other significant advantages to investing in super, as long as you are comfortable with what assets the funds are invested in within super.
I would encourage everyone to find out what their investment choices are currently within their super fund and get professional advice about where you should be investing.
Some people prefer to invest in the property market. Some feel safer with having money sitting in the bank for a guaranteed interest rate return. Some like the higher potential returns given with investing in the share market, despite the risks involved!
However, Superannuation is not a risky investment!
Super is an investment vehicle, or a structure that you can invest within. This means that your superannuation money can be invested directly into the share market. It can be put towared purchasing investment properties, or your super money can be put into fixed interest bank accounts. It can also be spread through all these different investment options.
So why have so many people lost money within their super funds?
Most people set up their investment choices within the super fund and never look at it again. The super fund may be highly weighted towards owning shares and therefore with the crashes in the stock market that we have seen most superfunds have been negatively affected.
Why should you invest in super?
Investing within superannuation gives you access to highly beneficial tax rates! the maximum tax rate within your super fund is 15% compared with 46.5% for the individual tax rate. There are also other significant advantages to investing in super, as long as you are comfortable with what assets the funds are invested in within super.
I would encourage everyone to find out what their investment choices are currently within their super fund and get professional advice about where you should be investing.
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