Moneywise24 Personal Finance

In my previous post, I already expressed that my interest in samurai culture, and my regular Kendo trainings. Yesterday, I had another training in preparation for my next exam, and for the first time we had been shown a simulation of a Kendo fight between two fighters.

The rules are already well known to me, but our teacher made a remark, which kind of stuck in my head:

If you are being hit during a fight, and your opponent mistakenly hits you on a part which is not protected by the bogu (bogu is a protective armour on the head, the waist, wrists and hands, and the throat, which may be hit during a Kendo fight), it might happen that you get hurt.

It is unfair to stop the fight, just because it hurts (of course excluding any serious injuries which need medical attention), and you can even get penalized for stopping the fight because of it; your opponent might just have started a movement of action, and it is not fair to stop the fight and mess up his chances. A true samurai will not just stop because he gets hurt. He will keep going on, until the fight has been decided upon. Read the rest of this entry →

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• Kendo And The Art Of Success

I have started practicing Kendo about half a year ago. Kendo is a Japanese martial art, and it derives from swordfighting, and it is a form of Japanese fending, which is practiced in armor and with a sword made out of bamboo. Although six months is not a lot, I find that there is a lot to learn from martial arts in general, and the more I dig into the ancient way of the samurai, there are many principles which can be projected to our lives today.

Kendo is a close combat sports, tournaments are held over the entire world. There are a few basic criteria which need to be met in order for a point to be valid; these criteria apply to our lives too in a sense. I would like to introduce these principles here.

Precision

The bamboo sword, also called Shinai, has three parts. The first criteria for a point to be valid is that the strike of the sword onto the opponent should take place with the first third of the sword, and either the head, middle region, hands, or larynx may be struck. A strike may not be coincidental, in that case the strike is not valid.

In our lives, we tend to do many things with little precision, on the side, not being focused. If things succeed, it is often a result of coincidence than precision. The first principle is to be precise and focused whenever wanting to achieve a goal. It increases the success rate, and it allows for taking full responsibility when you succeed.

Determination

In kendo, each strike has to occur with determination. This is often expressed by stamping the right foot on the floor, and shouting at the opponent. Additionally, there is no way back; once you go in for the strike you have to finish it, with the risk of a counterhit (or being killed if it were to be real battle).

In life, people who are the most determined are the most successful. They stay focussed, and are determined to bring a project to end, either being successful or failing. In fact, the ancient samurai would live for death. This does not mean that the samurai would enjoy death, but that avoiding death in battle would result in a more passive attitude, and missing out on great opportunities.

Be present

In Kendo, there is a lot of shouting. There is shouting when we strike, there is shouting when we defend, and there is shouting when we simply stand around. While striking, shouting demonstrates determination and power, but shouting also makes yourself stand out, it makes you heard and present.

Whenever we do something in real life with precision and determination, we often do it secretly, hoping that nobody would find out. By doing the exact contrary thing, by making yourself heard and simply being present, you demonstate your determination while being able to conduct self-marketing and perhaps build your network. Being present is an extremely powerful tool for standing out of the crowd.

Be in control

In Kendo, you have to control the situations at all times. Even after a strike, the attacker needs to keep an eye on his/her opponent, and control the situation. It is easy to think that after the strike the battle is over, but many things can happen even after that.

Maybe you have that experience yourself: you finished an important task, and you thought it was over… but that was when different issues really started coming. Therefore, it is important not just to focus on the action itself, but also what happens before it, what happens after it, and what happens around it. When keeping this view, you are in control of the situation and you can react quickly and any time as you deem appropriate.

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• Why For The True Samurai Giving Up Is Not An Option

People who behave impolite and somewhat rude have a higher potential of being perceived as more powerful and in general more successful than others, according to Medical News Today. Generally, people who in fact are powerful behave that way. They tend to smile less, act more rude, interrupt others. The full article is available here.

There are many similar researches, demonstrating that people who look or behave in certain ways are categorized by their surroundings immediately, and hence perceived as someone within that category, be it smart, dumb, confident, or shy. As a result, the main question is how we can apply this to our own financial situation, and perhaps to our own benefit.

We can’t change all traits; some of us are small overweight, perhaps as a result of our genes. Still, there are many things we can do in order to be perceived as smart, intelligent, confident, and attractive, and therewith get better service when we shop, get the better jobs, or receive a better pay. Below are 5 things you can to.

Dress smart

Buying clothes of well-known brands can be quite expensive. Still, the little logo of a well-known brand instantly signals success. Although so small, quality clothing shows, and usually only those who earn well can afford high quality brands. Additionally, the style of dressing shows to which social class you belong. Men in suits, for example, tend to receive much better service at upper class shops than a man in jeans and t-shirt.

Your wardrobe does not need to consist of the most expensive clothing of the highest quality. However, it is still good to purchase at least one or two outfits, for special occasions, for example for an interview. If you work in the office and if you are pursuing a career, it might pay out to have something of high quality to wear for each day during the week. High quality clothing might cost a bit, but it ensures that you get noticed better, and it wears off less quick than cheap clothing.

Be at ease

Being at ease simply means moving in a slow and controlled manner. Important and successful people do not need to rush. In stead, others are rushing for them. Turn down the accelerator a notch, and move slowly, don’t rush. The same applies while seated; either lean to the front slightly, or lean back comfortably, without exaggerating. Don’t fiddle with things, just be eat ease and have a discussion.

Never be interrupted

Important people (or people who think they are important) tend to interrupt others. At the same time, they will not tolerate to be interrupted themselves. Should you be interrupted, it is perfectly okay to tell the other person that you have not finished your scentence; this is one thing that should be respected. If the other person keeps talking, it is up to you to decide to either let him/her talk, to interrupt, or to end the conversation and leave. The latter makes a very clear statement, but it could provoke a conflict. Therefore, be careful with whom you do it, and when.

Smile less

Smiling and laughing amongh friends and in a relationship is beautiful and joyful. However, smiling does not always have a positive effect. People who smile too much tend to signal insecurity and subordination, especially when the smiling is an attempt to be liked by others. Therefore, if there is no need to laugh or smile, it might be a good idea to control your smile, and remain serious more often.

Say ‘no’

Saying ‘no’ can take some courage, and many people have difficulties with it, but saying ‘no’ from time to time is a absolutely essential in order to get things done. Especially when something is not in your interest or benefit, saying ‘no’ might provide just the right signal at the right time, to signal strength and confidence. Again, saying ‘no’ at the wrong time or situation may backfire, therefore it is always essential to overthink the possbile consequences in advance.

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• What Did YOU Do To Make A Difference Today?

Generally I am quite happy with my life. Surely I want to improve a few things here and there, I do sports to keep fit and healthy, and my monthly salary is keeping me off the streets. I even have some money to save up, to invest, and to enjoy a holiday twice a year. I am single, but I am not breaking my head about it; my focus is on other places right now.

Still I can’t help feeling a bit stressed. In the 90′s, when I still went to school, and later on started my education in International Business, things were somewhat more relaxed. But now… I can’t help feeling pressurized. Maybe it’s just the internet, allowing me to exchange information, and learn, from people who are not relatives or within my circle of closest friends. Perhaps it’s the marketing, which is increasingly applying more refined techniques of brain manipulation. Over the years, I have read and heard about a few topics. They seem to become more and more normal, yet I know for sure these were not issues in my life 15 years ago. Perhaps these are some phenomenons of the new millennium, or I just didn’t know about them; I don’t know. Most of the writing in this post is based on articles and broadcasts which may lie back one or two years ago… so apologies if I can’t name a source to them.

The girl next door

Starting with my favorite topic: women. Now I don’t know about the rest of the world, but it used to be normal to start hooking up at the age of about 14 or 15, and sleeping with a partner for the first time at the age of 17 on average. It must have been over a year ago when I read an article in a Dutch newspaper, where the practice of for example Rainbow Parties (I will not indulge into details, please use Google for further information), where it was commented to be common practice between 12-year olds or so, was being discussed and frowned upon in political circles.

Several psychological and society magazines, on their turn, claimed that children were starting to experiment much more early nowadays, which would be the result of pressure from peer groups and society in general. Many of these teens regret it at a later age. Additionally, social pressure of often also the cause of eating disorders or other behavior disorders.

Slavery for money

An old acquaintance of mine graduated in law at university, and obtained a job at a prominent law firm. After haven’t seen him for months, as he kept cancelling our meetups, we met for a coffee. During that conversation he confessed having to work for 16 hours a day, including Saturday and Sunday, and most of his social circle has deteriorated. Fine, he had a good pay, but he just didn’t have the time to meet up with them. But hey, he said to me, “it’s not all that bad. Other law graduates are spending their time behind the copying machine for 1,200 Dollars per month”. Two months later, he didn’t look good at all. Unfortunately I didn’t see him again after that.

I know it’s normal to have a demanding job when someone has the responsibility that goes with it, such as a manager of a division, or Managing Director. But a graduate? Apart from that, I heard it is illegal in Germany to work for more than 10 hours per day, and each and every employee needs to have at least 11 hours off work between leaving work and starting work the next day.

The man who has nothing

One of my previous neighbors had it all: a big Mercedes, nice penthouse, expensive suits, and an extremely big mouth. All he did was to talk about his riches and success. Then came the crisis and he was laid off.

“That’s not that bad”, I said to him. “You have the car, the penthouse, perhaps some savings. Live a bit frugally for a few months; someone with your knowledge and expertise should have no problem getting a new job”. It turned out he didn’t own anything.

The art of relaxing

I find it hard sometimes not get drawn in on “more, faster, better”. Actually, with increasing pressure from the media, at the workplace, from friends, you sometimes get the impression that you’re a complete failure, whereas you’re actually doing pretty good in what you do.

Therefore I find it so important to stop comparing myself with others, and lead a life that I enjoy, keeping my goals in mind, and leading a well-balanced life. What this has to do with personal finance? It’s simple: it allows me to keep a clear head and to take rational decisions that are good for me.

So, having gotten this out there in the world… it’s time to hit the gym.

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An outlier is someone who demonstrates extraordinary performance. He is someone who we call extremely talented. However, how are outliers born?

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell takes a closer look at what makes people so successful, and why. In an entertaining and well written way, Outliers explains the relationships between hard work, ambition, passion, and pure luck, using many real-life examples, such as that of Bill Gates. All examples and theories described in the book are the result of extensive research.

For those readers, who want to obtain a greater understanding about what characterizes success, I would greatly recommend Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell.

ISBN: 978-0-316-05628-1

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